Starcrossed
by Edebhpesoj
Summary: SUMMARY RE-WRITTEN: After the events of Homecoming, Jake is left devastated by the loss of Rose. But when an ancient evil arises, and old foes return, will Jake find it within himself to fight on? Or will he succumb to depression and leave the world to fall to darkness? In this fic, Jake never knows if his wish was granted as he never bumps into Rose at the end of Homecoming
1. Goodbye

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own ADJL. No copyright infringement intended

**Starcrossed**

**Chapter I: Goodbye**

_She's gone. She's really gone._

Jake Long stood on top of the Pantheon Building, surveying the damage from the previous night's fight. It was probably the most terrifying fight of his life. Worse than the time he had to fight the Dark Dragon on Draco Island, worse than when he had to fake his death at the Huntsclan academy, and worse, certainly than when he found out Huntsgirl's real identity.

Rose. That memory of finally saying goodbye to his Love kept invading his thoughts like a stubborn army. He supposed he couldn't blame his mind. After all, it was just trying to prevent him from forgetting.

It was, however, still an extremely painful experience, seeing that scene in his mind's eye.

* * *

_She was as beautiful as ever, her golden hair tied as usual in a graceful ponytail, her eyes glinting sapphires in the moonlight. She seemed to have two conflicting emotions on her face. There was a look of absolute determination as she watched the spell rise into the sky after she made the fatal wish._

_And yet, at the same time, there was also a smack of fear on her. By wishing for the destruction of the Huntsclan, she inevitably wished her own death. And her absolute terror at finally meeting her maker was etched visibly on her trembling hands and quivering lips._

_It was only when Jake looked closer that he realized the thir enotion on her face: Sadness. She was obviously very unwilling to say goodbye to her friends, and the elegiac expression that kept creeping onto her face only said as much._

_With a brilliant green shockwave, the spell began to take effect. The Huntsclan birthmark on each of their arms glowing. Slowly, each member was lifted into the air and vaporized into thin air, a deathly scream being the last thing they could exclaim while death overtook them._

_Jake, after being liberated from the chains by Rose, transformed back to his human self, and then approached her, worry the predominant expression on her face._

_"Rose, why did you-" he asked, but Rose interrupted._

_"I said there was only one way this could end. And this is it. With the destruction of the Huntsclan." Her eyes began to moisten, but she seemed to be holding back her tears._

_"But you're one of them," Jake said, desperately hanging onto the Love of his short life," that means-"_

_"I know what it means," she shot back, " but even if we destroy the skulls, they know your human identity, Jake. They'll find your family like they did mine. This way, they'll be safe. They'll all be safe."_

_Suddenly, the Huntsman began to rise into the air, and like his lackeys before him, the #4 Threat to the Magical World was blasted into bits, the evil of the Huntsclan finally destroyed._

_But Jake knew there was no time to celebrate._

_Suddenly, Rose knew it was time._

_With a small, humming sound, Rose was lifted into the air by her slender arm, ready to face her own demise._

_Before she went, however, she needed to say a few last words to her only boyfriend._

_"Thank you Jake. For everything. I'll never forget you."_

_Jake was having none of this "Goodbye forever" crap. He reached out as high as his 160cm body could reach, grabbing her hand._

_"Rose," he said, nearly choking on the tears he was holding back," No!"_

_Rose knew it was no use holding her back, that the force of the explosion that would take her life would hurt, even kill, Jake, so she tried to soothe him._

_"Jake, let go." Now tears were really forming in her eyes._

_"I'll be ok," she lied, knowing full well that she would never be ok, because there would be no more her to be ok," I promise."_

_But it was a promise she'd have to break. Nevetheless, she had to assure him._

_"I'll be ok."_

_Where there was once sheer determination to hold onto her, there was now only a deeply sorrowful understanding. Jake knew there was no choice. He would have to let her go._

_With an expression befitting that of a man beside his wife's deathbed, Jake reluctantly forced himself to slowly let those marvellous, smooth fingers slip past his own. His heart was screaming for him to hold on tighter, but his head was ordering his muscles to let go._

_In that second, Jake remembered everything between the two. _

_Their first meeting, back when he was still a lovestruck immature fool._

_The Ski Trip, where he found out her secret life._

_During the Equinox Hunt, where her feelings for him became apparent when she spared his life._

_Seeing her in his dream, right after a three month stumble in the dark._

_Finally physically reuniting with her in the academy._

_Their first real kiss, when they were called to fight to the death._

_Waking up from temporary death, and being greeted by her face._

_Her telling him she loved him for what he was underneath, not what he looked like_

_Their every dream date_

_The Love Cruise_

_Finally, Homecoming._

_In that moment, watching her float further and further away from him, Jake knew what he had to do._

_Quickly grabbing the skull, he shouted to his friends,"We have to do something! Wehave to use the skulls to save her!"_

_He vaguely heard Fu and Grandpa objecting to this plan, but decided to ignore them._

_"It won't be for my personal gain! It'll be for hers! She deserves a normal life, with a family who cares about her!"_

_With that, he raised the skull to the heavens, and yelled his last hope of saving Rose._

_"I wish Rose was never taken by the Huntsclan!"_

_Like before, the spell lifted into the air, before exploding in another dazzling display of green light._

_Jake quickly looked up into the sky, desperately seeking his beloved Rose. When he couldn't find her, he realized the inevitable had happened._

_Rose Thorne, the Girl of his Dreams, had just perished._

_With an infuriated growl, Jake Long hurled the skull onto the floor, where it promptly cracked, shattering into a million pieces. As if on cue, the other skulls also imploded, taking down the gargoyle statues._

_All eyes were on the grief-stricken teenager. With a voice filled to the brim with anger, frustration, and most obviously, extreme sadness, Jake said,"Consider them destroyed." With that, he walked away, changing into his dragon form before taking flight._

* * *

Jake realized with a groan that it was almost ten minutes to school. After quickly transforming into Dragon mode, he flew off the building, hoping that Rotwood's idiocy would be enough to keep him pre-occupied at least for today.

Little did he know what awaited him that day.

* * *

_The end! Hope you enjoyed. After re-watching Amdrag, I just had to write this sTory. Coming up next month, Jake's failed attempts at trying to forget her, and a touching sibling scene between Jake and Haley._


	2. Forgetting and the Power of Siblings

Disclaimer: I Do NOT own ADJL. No copyright infringement intended.

Extra disclaimer: I also do not own anything Harry Potter. Queen JK Rowling does. No copyright infringement intended.

Chapter II: Forgetting and the Power of Siblings

If anyone had bothered to look up, they would have seen a giant, red mass gliding through the sky like a crimson knife, landing just behind Millard Fillmore Middle School. As it was, no one saw anything, and Jake Long successfully turned back into his human form.

Jake quickly met up with Trixie and Spud, and the three of them ran to the class. Unfortunately, they were not fast enough, and Rotwood caught them just as the bell rang. Luckily, the poor fool was having a cold, and decided to let them off the hook, if only so he could get home quickly after school. Jake turned to his left to smile at Rose, and for a moment he almost imagined seeing the beautiful girl smiling back at him. However, reality got to him like a thief in the night, and Jake's smile was only met by the sight of an empty seat.

A lump began to form in his throat, and Jake tried his hardest to fight back his tears as the flashback threatened to resurface in his mind's eye. Sighing, he dove head first into the lesson, and for once was actually grateful to be in class.

After the bell rang, Jake ignored his friends, deciding to utilize the most of the free period to fly around the city. There was always something relaxing about the sensation of flying. The wind beneath his wings lifted him into the air, making him feel momentarily exhilarated, and for a short while he was not the American Dragon, Protector of the NYC. He was just Jake Long, another 14-year old who just wanted a normal life.

_Just like her_

Jake sighed as he remembered Rose's deepest desire: To be free of the Huntsclan and find her family. Saddly, it was a desire that would be forever unsatisfied.

Jake realized that he never actually had a destination in mind when he took off from Millard Fillmore. He cast his head wildly about as he tried to deduce his location. With a slight shock, he realized he had arrived at Central Park, at the very same pathway they had taken when 88 and 89 had emerged being chased by the Guardian serpent. Jake chuckled to himself as he remembered just how stupid the two apprentices had looked, one moment taunting Jake and Rose, the next moment running for their lives and shouting for their mommas.

He looked once more at the spot that, if memory served him right, was where Jake assured Rose of his love despite the dangers of the Huntsclan.

_In the end, it had all been for nothing._

Jake took a moment to compose himself and organize his thoughts, when a wild scent entered his nostrils. The smell was oddly sweet, a fragrance so enticing Jake could have sworn it was the best thing he had ever smelled. Turning, he realized he was standing right behind a large rose bush.

Jake knew he couldn't stay here for too long. The roses were already too much to handle. He swiftly turned back into a dragon and prepared to take off. Before he could go, however, he couldn't help but pluck out a single red rose from the bush.

* * *

When he returned, the free period was almost ending, so Jake, Spud and Trixie began walking off to the exit. Jake had kept the rose in his bag, knowing that Trixie and Spud would disapprove of him keeping such a stark reminder of Rose.

The trio were walking along the hallway when Spud said," Hey dude, you ok?"

"We missed you during free period," said a concerned Trixie.

Jake was contemplating whether he should tell the truth, before deciding against it. "I spent it patrolling the city. As far as I can tell, Rose's wish came true. No Huntsclan anywhere."

Trixie, however, wouldn't let him off the hook. "But what about you're wish? I mean, if the Rose that existed today was never taken by the Huntsclan, that means all this stuff between you and her never happened. She lived a while other life."

Jake had considered that possibility last night, considered tracking her down to keep an eye on her. And yet, somehow he knew Rose would have wanted him to let go, so he let her rest.

"As long as she's happy," he said in a low, pained voice.

Trixie had a look on her face that seemed to say, _A__s if you really believe that._

Jake knew he had to get away before her memory struck him hard again, so he nonchalantly said," Well, later guys. I'm off to Gramps shop for some dragon training." (A/N: And the alternate season begins!")

* * *

Meanwhile, a young girl of about fourteen was in her room, trying to squeeze all her belongings into a grey luggage. It was a terribly difficult task, for her belongings piled up so high, Sir Edmmund Hillary couldn't possibly scale this mountain of clothing, electronic devices, etc.

"Rose, are you done yet?" Her mother, Anastasia Thorne, was downstairs, helping Lily, Rose's twin, as she too faced the daunting endeavour of packing her luggage.

Meanwhile, James Thorne, the head of the family, was already outside their house, loading his and Anastasia's luggage into the car.

Rose sighed. She loved her family dearly, having spent all her fourteen years in the loving care of her parents, and in a (friendly) rivallry with Lily. Now, her father was promoted and sent to Hong Kong to head the regional branch of his company. Her mother, not wanting them to be apart, decided to migrate there. Thus, in a matter of two weeks, Rose went from being happily living in New York and attending Millard Fillmore to leaving for a new country whose language she barely knew except for a few curse words she learned from her friend, Liane. In those two weeks, however, an inexplicable feeling came over Rose. It was a feeling that she was leaving behind someone important, someone who, oddly, never seemed to have a face, but who Rose felt she was destined to be with. Rose, of course, shook it off as just early homesickness.

Sweeping her eyes across the room, Rose was satisfied that it was now completely stripped of all traces of her. She would miss this place, and New York.

Suddenly, she spied a small object in the West Corner of her room. Curiously, she picked it up. It was a braclet, but one she had bever seen before. Then, the weird "early homesickness" feeling washed over her. Her heart seemed to be screaming for her not to go, that someone out there in New York was waiting for her to return to them.

_I really am going insane._

The braclet was rather pretty, so Rose kept it in her backpack, which she would be bringing as a hand carry for the trip. With one final look at her empty room, she walked out of the room to join her family.

* * *

Jake Long opened the door to Gramp's shop, only tp be greeted by the sight if Fu Dog panting as he ran towards him, followed by G, who looked rather worried.

"Kiddo! Glad you made it! We have some bad news! And its not just that the Old Man made Onion soup again!"

Shaking off the jibe at his cooking, Lao Shi said," Eli Pandarus has been spotted in the sewers. The pixie who saw him said he was chasing the Mirror of Erised."

"The Mirror of what?"

Fu Dog brought a dusty, red tome and opened up to reveal a ghostly hologram of a very big and intricately decorated mirror,

"The Mirror of Erised is an enchanted mirror that shows the user their heart's deepest, darkest desire, and where and how to get it. It was guarded by the Trolls living under the sewers. Last place to search for such a treasure is in a filth-hole."

"We think Pandarus is going to use the mirror to find whatever it is he needs next, but we don't know what it is. It is up to you, young dragon, to find him and stop him from accessing the mirror."

"I'm on it, G." With that, the American Dragon exited the shop, transformed and took off into a nearby pothole."

* * *

About half an hour later, Jake, Lao Shi, Trixie, Spud, Fu Dog, Haley and Sun Park had finally arrived at a cross section of four tunnels, and saw Eli Pandarus and four trolls battling it out, though the wily wizard was winning.

The four dragons sprung into action, their arrival surprising the hell out of Pandarus. Seeing himself outnumbered, Eli quickly launched a devastating shockwave of purple energy that knocked everyone to their feet. When the dragons had arisen from the filthy sewer floor, Eli had vanished.

Lao Shi was about to walk to the trolls when a sharp pain in his leg coursed through his body like an electric shock, causigng him to collapse onto the floor, writihing in pain.

The rest of the gang immediately rushed to the old man's side. Sun, who had the most experience healing, checked Lao Shi's leg, before concluding that the old man sprained his ankle during the fall. She immediately entered into a healing trance, while Lao Shi very weakly said," Jake, destroy the mirror. Don't let it fall into the wrong hands."

Jake, who couldn't bear to see his grandfather in such pain, did as he was told. He flew over to where the mirror stood, just behind the trolls who were still knocked out, their clubs all having smashed hard onto their heads.

When he reached the mirror, however, the glass started to warp his reflection, until it showed an entirely different scene.

The scene was that of the inside of an airplane, and Jake could see an unmistakable blonde hair, a beautiful face and stark, blue eyes. She was cuddled up in a blanket and staring outside the plane, trying to fall asleep.

Lao Shi, who had recovered quickly thanks to Sun, shouted,"Jake! Stop looking, or you'll go insane!"

But Jake wasn't listening.

_She's alive! _The young dragon's heart leapt for joy as he realized the spell worked.

Then, a fireball caused the mirror to explode, the force of the explosion causing Jake to hurl backwards. He looked up to see Haley look down on him in an angry fashion.

Lao Shi shouted,"Jake! I told you to destory the mirror!"

Ignoring the rest of them, Jake took off, the flames of hope once again re-kindled in his heart. He wasn't going to let anyone spoil this newfound happiness for him.

_Rose is alive!_

* * *

_Three hours later..._

Jake stood on the roof of his apartment, gazing at the full moon. Somewhere out there, his Rose was alive and well, living with her family in the happy life he had envisioned for her when he made that fateful wish.

_She may not be with me now, as my girlfriend, __but at least she's happy._

Finally, after all they had been through, Rose had gotten her wish. Though Jake knew not where she had flown off to, he knew that she was where she wanted to be.

Suddenly, his enhanced Dragon hearing picked up the sound of small footsteps coming up the stairs. The door to the roof opened, and Haley, his younger sister, walked up to him in her purple pyjamas, a concerned look on his face.

"Shouldn't you be in bed? After all, Princess Perfecto needs her beauty sleep, doesn't she?"

"Jake," Haley said, ignoring his comment,"what did you see in the Mirror if Erised?"

Jake immediately replied," What's it to you?"

Haley, expecting this brutal defensive tone, said,"You saw Rose, didn't you?"

Jake turned his back on his seven-almost-eight year old sister and said,"So what? She's alive, Haley. Don't you get it?"

Haley sighed, gripped her brother's arm, and said,"Jake, don't you know anything about the Mirror? It only shows you're heart's desire, not the truth. For all we know, what you saw may just be your reconstruction of Rose's situation as a result of your wish. It might not be real, Jake!"

"But I saw her on a plane, with her family!"

"That's what you wanted for her, right? A family who loves her and cares about her?"

Jake sighed, shrugging off Haley's grip so that she couldn't see the tears falling from his eyes. Was it true, then? Was what he saw an illusion?

Haley's enhanced hearing could pick up Jake's choked breathing and knew he was crying. She walked up to his brother and said," Its ok, Jake. Just let out the tears..."

A mournful howl pierced the night as Jake's floodgates opened. It really was over. Rose was really gone.

"Its ok." The younger sister held her brother in a loving embrace, and the two remained that way even after Jake had calmed down.

After about twenty minutes, Jake saw Haley had fallen asleep in his arms, so he carried her to her room and tucked her into bed, before falling asleep in his own, entering a dreamland full of airplanes and roses.

* * *

_There it was again._

Rose was staring out the window when she felt someone watching, but, ironically, that someone was the person Rose couldn't put a face to, the person behind her "early homesickness".

Deciding the altitude must be getting to her, Rose closed her eyes, and entered a very weird dream of a teenager crying over her, and Rose was forced to watch helplessly as the teenager , an Asian boy with spiky hair, transformed into a dragon and flew off.

In the morning, Rose forgot the dream as she exited the airport into her new life in Hong Kong.

* * *

The end! Hope you enjoyed chapter II. And no, its not over For JakeXRose, or this fanfic would have ended like in the show. I've got two or three chapters planned out, but I have to wait till after the exams to do it. Please review! Thank you, and I'll be back in November.


	3. Revelations

**Authors Note: As much as I am focusing on my exams, I cannot help but come back to this story. This chapter is a lead-up chapter that establishes the plot for November. Hope you enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own ADJL. No copyright infringement intended.

Chapter III: Revelations

_That dream again..._

Rose awoke with a violent start, beads of sweat flowing down her face as fast as the rain outside her window. She was gasping for air as she realised that not only was she dreaming, she was dreaming a recurring one.

_But what could this dream have meant?_

In the dream, Rose was chasing after a red dragon. She was even clad in some weird Ninja outfit and carrying what looked like a Battlestaff. Somehow, she could shoot green energy projectiles at the dragon from said staff. In fact, one of them managed to smash into the dragon's left wing, searing it with a hole about the size of her head. The dragon fell to the ground, and Rose moved in to kill it, when suddenly, it transformed back into an Asian kid with black hair and dark brown eyes.

The kid would look at her in a beseeching way, almost as if he was begging her to do something. Then, the kid would burst in flames, writhing in pain as he screamed her name, and Rose was forced to watch, horrified as not one, but three evil cackles were heard. It was at that point that she woke up.

Rose had been dreaming about this boy for almost a week. For some odd reason, he seeed familiar, as if he had been at her side for so long. But she could never really place a name to the face. It was really frustrating because Rose couldn't bring herself to watch this torment anymore.

Groaning, she flipped over to lie on her stomach, buried her head in the pillow, and tried to get some shut-eye.

Already, a week in Hong Kong and Rose still couldn't bring herself to get over how much she missed New York.

* * *

Trixie and Spud were walking home from school when a worried Trixie said," Yo, Spud, do you think Jake will ever get over the fact that Rose is really and truly up there?" She began pointing to the heavens.

Spud at first kept quiet, deep in contemplation. "Hard to say, Trix. The man's just had the love of his life ripped from his arms. You gotta give him credit for not going on a massive rampage to vent his frustration. I'd wager he might take a while, but he'll get over it."

Trixie, who was still very concerned for her friend's lackadasical attitude towards his social life, said," I hope you're right, Spudinski."

For the past week, Jake had completely ignored anyone, even his own parents. The tension was telling as the teenager constantly walked around completely shut off from the world. However, Trixie did once chance upon Jake secretly crying in an abandoned Janitor's closet, clutching Rose's picture. Seeing her friend suffer just made her feel really bad, for she and Spud wanted to help him but they just didn't know how.

And speaking of the Devil, the zombie everyone knew as Jake Long emerged from the other end of the street.

* * *

The young boy of Asian descent was not really walking home from school. Rather, he was trudging, dragging his feet in a forced manner, as if he would rather lock himself in his room the whole day long.

And he much rather would. Jake seemed to have stopped sleeping. Telltale dark circles were beginning to form underneath his eyes, while his iris seemed to have gone from dark brown to a dull shade of burgundy. His arms were swinging at his sides, but they seemed to be lifeless. Overall, Jake seemed to be far different from the arrogant, noisy skater-boy from last week. Anyone looking would have deduced stress as the most likely cause of this 180-shift that he was going through.

Suddenly, Brad Morton appeared out of nowhere. The bully, a full head taller than Jake, immediately grabbed the younger boy by the collar and slammed him into the wall.

In the distance, Jake could see Trixie and Spud running towards him. By this point, Jake was already very tired of Brad, tired of people pushing him around as if they owned him, so he did what he did best.

Seizing Brad's arms, he used his dragon strength to twist the wrists, causing young Brad to scream in agony. Using this time that Brad was distracted, Jake slipped out of his grip before launching a strength-enhanced punch to the bully's jaw.

Sheer terror emnated from both Brad and Trixie and Spud, both of whom were standing shell-shocked in front of their friend, who now resembled a demon.

As sudden as the barrage started, something in Jake's mind went snap. Jake suddenly saw Rose standing before him, an angry look on her face.

"Jake, let that boy go!" said Rose in an angry way. Jake's mouth hung open in surprise and horror as he saw what he had done. Grateful that Brad had been knocked unconscious, Jake transformed and flew off, leaving behind a very confused Spud and a worried Trixie.

* * *

Jake flew quickly to Gramp's shop, when he bumped into two unexpected people: The Oracle Twins, Sara and Kara.

While Sara was, as always, overenthusiastic to see Jake, Kara merely waved her hand and went back to examining a vintage radio set from the 1970s.

"Hi Jake! Its so good to see you again!" said Sara.

Just then, Lao Shi and Fu Dog entered from the backroom. Lao Shi looked surprised to see him, and said,"Jake? I was about to call for you. How on Earth did you know what was happening?"

Jake, who just remembered his little "incident" with Brad, said," Errr... Well I just felt like coming over here, honest!"

Lao Shi, however, was no longer paying attention, and turned back to the twins," Ladies, you have something for us?"

Sara then jumped up and down and said," Oh well, earlier today I had a vision that Fu Dog was getting indigestion!"

Fu responded to this with a nervous chuckle. _I knew I shouldn't have eaten that curry!_

Sara then continued," Then ,I saw a second vision. I saw Eli Pandarus at Ying Peak in Hong Kong!" She then burst into a flurry of giggling.

Kara then stepped up," The good news is, you guys intercept him just before he takes out something that looked like an old telescope."

Lao Shi had been watching this with utmost fear. Jake noticed this, and immediately grew concerned, for G was never this scared unless something really vicious was about to attack.

"Yo, G, what's with the long face. Do you know what Pandarus is planning?"

Lao Shi took a deep breath and said," Its worse than I thought. Pandarus is after the Sword of Hades."

"The what?"

"Centuries ago, a great war broke out between the Dragons and a group of Humans we know today as the Huntsclan. After five long years of warfare, the then leader of the Dragon Council came up with a brilliant and terrifying new weapon, forged from dark magic. It was known as the Sword of Hades, and it could raise an army of the dead. The other councillors hated the idea of upsetting the balance of nature, and condemned him. But this councillor could not stop, soon his undead army was so large, that both the Huntsclan and The dragons had to team up to stop him. Twisted by excessive use of dark magic, he became the Dark Dragon."

Fu Dog had returned with a large, blue tome, opened it up, and read," For in the land where the Dark One has risen, there the cursed blade shall lie."

"There's more," continued Lao Shi, now a look of positive costernation etched on his aged features,"After the Dark Dragon's army was vanquished, the Council tried to take him on, but they failed. However, they managed to weaken him significantly, causing him to spend six centuries on the run. With their dying breath, the council, who could not destroy a blade forged by such immense power, sealed it from the world, and created another artefact, the Eternal Spyglass, so that The New Council could always keep track of it."

Jake gulped. This really was bad news.

At that moment,his phone rang. Picking it up, the voice of Susan Long pierced his ear like a needle, "JAKE LONG! YOU GET BACK TO THIS HOUSE IMMEDIATELY!"

"Awww man!"

* * *

Jake burst through the door, and was immediately manhandled by his father, whom Jake had never seen that infuriated. Heat waves of untamed rage seemed to ooze out of Jonathan Long's eyes as he took in his eldest child.

Grabbing him by the collar, Jonathan hurled Jake to the Living Room, where his mother, sister, a female police officer, Brad and his parents all sat on the couches. Jake was thrust into the centre of this circle, and everywhere he turned, hostile faces surrounded him.

"Young man, is this the kid who assaulted you?" asked the officer, whose Asian features resembled a hawk.

"Y-Y-Yes," whimpered Brad.

What ensued was a half hour interrogation in which Jake and Brad gave their sides of the story. The officer, who introduced herself as Officer Tay, listened to both sides with an impartial face. When the interrogation ended, she stood up, assured both sides that she would further investigate, and left, though not before shooting Jake a furtive glance.

When the Mortons had left, Jonathan and Susan immediately vented their full rage on Jake. Then, the sentencing had arrived.

"Grounded till next month! Unless your grandfather calls for you, of course." Susan then ordered her son up to his room.

Slamming the door, Jake groaned in frustration. His anxiety grew to such an extent that he transformed into his dragon form and let loose a small burst of flame.

That flame almost hit the one thing Jake would never try to lose. The picture of him and Rose was a mere two inches off from where the flame landed. Immediately, Jake's fury vanished, and he took the picture in his hands and cradled it as he would an infant child.

"Well, Rose," said Jake," if only you could have been there."

Sighing, he placed the picture back on the bedside table and lay on his bed.

* * *

It was past midnight when a whoosh sound awoke Jake. Opening his window, he was nearly knocked off his feet as a navy blue dragon swooped into his room, before it transformed back into a human: Officer Tay.

"Officer?" Said Jake in apprehension.

"American Dragon, we have not yet truly met. My name is Tay Wai Lin, the Singapore Dragon, and we want your help."

Chuckling with a voice dripped with sarcasm and irony, Jake shot back,"Well, good luck with that, unless you can get me out of this."

Tay smiled a small but cruel smile and said,"Actually, we can. Tomorrow at sundown, your parents will recieve news that you were innocent in the street brawl. Your parents will clear you of all charges, and you will meet me and your grandfather at his shop on Canal Street. We have some worrying information about your friend, Eli Pandarus."

"Say what?" said a bewildered Jake.

"Goodbye, American Dragon. I shall be seeing you tomorrow. Do not fail me." With that, Wai Lin transformed and flew off.

* * *

The very next day, Wai Lin's prediction came true exactly as she said.

The Long's recieved news that, as there was no tangible proof of the assault, and as Brad Morton's history as a bully made it more than likely that, if Jake had really attacked, it was in self-defence, convinced the police that he was innocent.

Jonathan Long was, at first, a little reluctant to let Jake go, but after much convincing from Susan, who had been asked by Lao Shi to let him go, the Long Patriarch decided that Jake could go, so long as he kept out of trouble.

With a gleeful shout, Jake took his skateboard and made his way to Gramp's shop.

Once there, Jake was greeted by Fu, while his grandfather was busy making tea for Wai Lin, who sat in a rather dignified manner, wearing a simple grey blouse and blue jeans.

"Ah, grandson, you've arrived. I assume you already met Wai Lin? She has some information on the whereabouts of Eli Pandarus."

"Indeed, Lao Shi. As a matter of public security, Singapore has three dragons monitoring different parts of the island, and all of them report to me. The dragon in charge of the Southern Area has reported that Pandarus was spotted in Sentosa Island. We believe he is looking for the Eternal Spyglass. I presume you are familiar with the History? After consulting with the Dragon Council, we have seen fit to move the Spyglass to America, where it will be placed under the protection of the two of you, since you both have experience fighting Pandarus."

Jake was happy that something was going right, for once. "Great! So where is this spyglass?"

Wai Lin smirked and said,"Silly boy! To bring the Spyglass here is suicide. We have it at an indiscreet location in Singapore. Bringing it here would be too risky. This is where we want you in. We need one of you to accompany me back to Singapore, where the Spyglass will be waiting for you to see fit. Preferrably, Lao Shi would come."

Lao Shi nodded and said,"Of course. But why not bring it here if Pandarus is in Singapore?"

Wai Lin grimaced and said,"I have a lingering suspicion that Pandarus has infiltrated us, and one of my three colleagues may be a traitor. As of now, only I know where to get it, but once it is out in the open, the Magical Signature would be like a magnet. That is why we need one of you to come, As back-up just in case Pandarus decides to stage an attack, since the three younger dragons have never actually seen battle."

Jake grimaced._ Why does nothing go the way we want?_

* * *

_End! Stick around. I realize this may not contain a lot of JakeXRose, but this chapter was necessary to establish the background for later, where JakeXRose reunites!_


	4. The Departure

**Authors Note: Well, the only exams left to worry about are Maths and Biology. Other than that, the rest are going well, so I decided to use my free time to write this chapter. I hope you enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own ADJL. No copyyright infringement intended

Chapter IV: The Departure

The JFK International Airport was teeming with a multitude of people, from businessmen in dapper suits to families in their vacation wear. In this chaotic mass of human beings (and the occasional pixie who went unnoticed), the Long family, Fu Dog, Trixie and Spud were trying to maneuver their way through.

The Longs had come to see Lao Shi off as he flew to Singapore. The cover story was that an old friend of his from the 1970s was dying, and out of respect, Lao Shi would be attending his funeral, before heading off to Hong Kong to join his family at the wedding of their Aunt Li. Of course, this was not really the case, and somewhere in the airport, Wai Lin was lurking about, waiting for the coast to be clear to rendezvous with Lao Shi.

"Daughter's husband, would you mind if me and Jake have a little personal chat?" asked Lao Shi.

Jonathan, who still had not gotten over Jake's "incident", was a little reluctant, but seeing as Lao Shi was with him, agreed.

Jake, happy to be free from the deathly glare of his father, went willingly with his grandfather to a small, secluded corner.

"Jake, you did not tell me about your little street brawl."

Jake, realizing that he had been caught, started to stutter out an explanation that came out as mostly gibberish, but Lao Shi put a finger to his mouth.

"Listen to me, grandson. Whatever you were thinking, that was the most irresponsible and embarrassing thing I have ever had the misfortune of finding out. Can I have your word that it will never happen again?"

Jake nodded, still ashamed of what he had done.

"Good, now onto more pressing matters. While I am gone, I want you to report to Sun for your training, which will be done concurrently with Haley."

"What? No way, Gramps! I'm never training with Haley!"

"Relax, young dragon. You will be doing separate sessions, since Haley is not yet prepared to handle your level. Now, secondly, take this."

Lao Shi immediately pressed a small seashell into Jake's hand. Jake only stared at it in confusion and apprehension.

"It's a magical communication device. Every night, I want you to report to me anything that you think may have been a little off. I will also keep you updated on the status of our mission."

Jake pocketed the seashell, grateful that he wouldn't have to rely on the extremely expensive overseas calls.

"That will be all, Jake. Now, let us quickly return to your family."

The duo soon found the rest of the Long family, along with Trixie and Spud, deciding where to eat. Finally, they decided on one rather posh Italian restaurant, before digging into what turned out to be a sumptuous meal of pasta and pizza.

* * *

Chang sat at Changi airport, eagerly awaiting the arrival of flight 368C from New York. The fools at Alcatraz prison never realized that she had quietly escaped, leaving behind only a very weak chi doppleganger, and had barely lost a tenth of her strength. Indeed, the art of deception had always been one of her strengths. After escaping, she had tracked down Pandarus, and got him to cast a spell that would block her from being seen by the Oracle Twins.

Now, sipping coffee at the nearby cafe, she awaited the arrival of Lao Shi to fulfill her master's final revenge.

Opposite her, the wizard Eli Pandarus was eating a muffin, fingering the Eternal Spyglass in his hand.

"You are absolutely sure this will work, Chang?"

"Of course. Do you doubt me, Pandarus? Who was it that fooled Tay Wai Lin and stole the spyglass to boot?"

Pandarus leaned in and whispered,"Why give it to me, though? I could just as easily run off with it, you know. Such a legendary object would procur a high price."

Chang smirked and said, "Consider this an employment interview. And a test of loyalty."

Pandarus chuckled darkly and said,"To you? What could an old woman like you do to a wizard like me."

At this point, a dark spectre appeared behind Chang, scaring the living daylights out of Pandarus. This time, it was Chang's turn to laugh.

"My dear Pandarus, whoever said I was your true employer?"

From within the shadows, a deep, raspy voice said,"Eli Pandarus. You will help me return to my physical body. If you do not, all you cherish, I shall destroy."

Pandarus was now visibly perturbed and said, in a voice that quavered with terror," Who the hell are you?"

The voice laughed maniacally and said,"Many names have I gone by, but you may call me the Dark Dragon."

* * *

The Chinese couple that emerged from the plane were surprisingly strong, the man being able to carry a suitcase thrice his height from the conveyor belt.

As they exited and got into a cab, Wai Lin said, in Mandarin," Take us to our destination."

Seeing Lao Shi confused, she explained, "This is my personal driver, Ming."

Relieved, Lao Shi settled back, and for twenty minutes, he enjoyed the scenery outside as the cab passed by Singapore City.

Finally, they had arrived at a warehouse, about twice the size of Jake's school. When Lao Shi entered,however, he immediately saw the trap. Instead of being greeted by The Eternal Spyglass, Chang and Eli Pandarus stood, battle ready.

Lao Shi immediately transformed, before turning to Wai Lin and said,"You! How dare you betray me!"

Chang, however, cackled with venemous glee, and said,"You fool! Did you not see the deception?"

Immediately, Wai Lin exploded in a flash of white light, and was replaced with another Chang! She had made a doppleganger who shapeshifted into Tay Wai Lin!

Chang immediately reabsorbed the doppleganger and sprung.

Lao Shi tried his best to fight back, but unfortunately, was outnumbered. With a blast from his wand, Pandarus brought down the mighty Chinese dragon, and trapped him in Sphinx Hair net. An unconscious Lao Shi reverted back to human form, and Chang stepped over the body, grinning in triumph.

"Take him to the Prison. I'll speak to him later," said Chang.

* * *

Meanwhile, Jake and his friends were on their skateboards, making their way home, when suddenly, Jake remembered about his training with Sun.

"Sorry guys, I gotta go!" With that, he took off in the opposite direction.

After an extremely eventful ten-minute ride that consisted of knocking into old ladies, nearly getting run over by a truck and almost crashing into Sun's convertible, Jake finally arrived at her house, a small, comfortable apartment.

"Ah, Jake, thank you for arriving, even if you are thirty minutes late," said Sun, who barely seemed hassled by his latecoming.

"If you would follow me into my convertible, we shall go to where I wish to train you today."

Jake was curious, and asked,"Where are we going? And what exactly are we doing today?"

Sun gave an enigmatic smile and said,"Well, we'll be doing a rather special form of training today."

Quickly, Jake stepped into Sun's convertible, and was whisked away. While driving, Sun passed him a blindfold. Seeing his confused face, Sun said,"Put it on. Where we are going is a rather special place."

Finally, the car stopped moving, and Jake was led by Sun into what felt like an elevator. Jake guessed they were in a tall building, as the elevator trip took quite some time. Finally, Jake and Sun exited and Sun left Jake standing in the middle of what he pictured as a big hall, as their voices brought an echo, and told him to take off the blindfold only when he was told to do so.

After a five-minite wait, Jake heard Sun's voice over a speaker,"Jake, take off the blondfold."

When Jake opened his eyes, however, shock gripped him in its unyielding hold, as across the hall, Jake saw the one face he was missing.

Rose. In Huntsgirl garb.

* * *

"Hey, Rose," said Jian, a tall, shy boy from Rose's new school in Hong Kong.

Rose was concentrating on her Biology book, when her head snapped up. Realizing it was just Jian, she sighed and said,"Oh, hey Jian. What's up?"

Jian seemed more awkward than ever, and when he spoke, he stumbled quite often.

"Well, I... Its just, you know... Err..."

Rose smiled. He was quite cute.

"Are you going to ask me to the Equinox Ball?" The ball was like a Hong Kong version of prom.

"Well, yeah," he said with a sheepish grin.

Rose was quite unsure how to respond. Jian was a nice guy, and was one of her first friends in Hong Kong, but a part of her brain, a small part that she never managed to control, was keeping her from takong anything "to the next level."

This time was no different. And it wasn't just because of that.

"Sorry, Jian. But I'm not going to prom. I'm attending a wedding with my family. My dad's office mate and his long time girlfriend are getting married."

A small sign of hurt flitted across Jian's face, but it was quickly masked.

"Its ok, Rose. Hope you enjoy yourself at the wedding!"

As Jian was walking away, Rose groaned in exasperation. A month in Hong Kong and nothing had changed, except for her taste. For some very odd reason, Rose found herself attracted to Shakespeare's work, specifically Romeo and Juliet. When Juliet was lamenting the fact that she and Romeo could never be together, Rose seemed to understand that feeli ng very well, which was odd considering she had never really fallen that deeply in love.

_Or have I?_

There were many time, at night, when Rose would wake up, shouting a name into the night as she surfaced from a nightmare.

_Jake!_

But she had never met anyone named Jake! At least, that was as far as she knew. It was very troubling because she feared she was descending into insanity.

Sighing, she returned to her Biology book, drowning her sorrows in diagrams of Human body parts.

* * *

As soon as the battle started, it was very clear to Jake that the Rose he faced was a fake. First, her fighting style was more rigid and stiff. Second, she did not engage in any flirtatious banter with Jake while fighting. And thirdly, her eyes were dead. There was no sparkle in them.

As a result, Jake did not hesitate. He merely went in for the kill. Using his strength, Jake brutally fought back, pretending that she was just another Huntsclan member. When the opening presented itself, Jake swept fake-Rose off her feet and incinerated her with fire.

Sun immediately appeared, entering the hall through a massive double door. She told Jake to transform and brought him several more floors up to the top of the building, and Jake realized where he was.

"Why did you bring me to the old Huntslair? And what was up with that fight, Sun?"

"It was your first test," said Sun, smiling nonchalantly at Jake.

"Test?! Making me slay a fake of my ex-girlfriend? What kind of sick test is that?" Jake yelled in anger.

"Jake, calm down. It was necessary. Haley told me about your brush in with the mirror of Erised."

Jake was furious. "So Haley ratted on me, huh? Figures."

"Your sister loves you, Jake, more than you know. When Lao Shi and I knew about this, we decided at once to give you some time recover, before testing you, to see if you could let go."

Jake was about to transform when Sun interjected.

"Jake, you have to understand. You are the first dragon in a millenia to have ever fallen in love with a slayer, and that deeply in love. Lao Shi and I were worried that your heartbreak would cloud your mind. By slaying the fake Rose so efficiently, you've proven us otherwise." The las part was said with a kind smile.

Infuriated, Jake yelled, "I never got over it! I knew it was a fake copy the moment I looked it in the eyes, so killing it was an easy task. And neither you nor Gramps know enough about what Rose and I had because if you did, you'd know you'd know how much harder it'd be to make me let go!"

Without a moment's waste, Jake transformed, broke through the glass windows and flew off, leaving Sun staring sadly in his wake.

* * *

Jake flew back home, transforming just outside the door, not even bothering to check if anyone had seen him. When he bursted into the house, his father blocked the stairs, and said,"Jakers, have you packed yet?"

Caught off guard, Jake said,"Huh?"

"We're leaving in two days for Hong Kong, young man, and I don't want to have to go through the old rush hour routine again."

Jake groaned. He had barely started packing for his ten day trip to Hong Kong. Well, at least Spud and Trixie would be tagging along, after getting explicit permission their parents.

Dragging his fatigued body up to his room, Jake saw Haley in the corridor. Immediately he snarled at her, a sound that was never heard before. Haley opened her mouth to speak, but Jake merely went into his room, slamming the door into his face.

Once he was in the solitude of his room, Jake rummaged through his belongings, before finding the seashell device.

_Now you've done it, G._

Placing it on the floor, Jake used his dragon strength to crush the shell. _Lets see how the old man can control me now_, he thought.

It was a fatal mistake

* * *

In a dingy prison cell in Singapore, Lao Shi was trying desperately to contact Jake using the Communication device. Unfortunately, all he got was static.

After cursing in Chinese, Lao Shi turned to the real Wai Lin, alongside her three colleagues, Neo, Chen and Leong.

"Its no use, my grandson won't pick up."

Wai Lin groaned. It was going to be one hell of a day.

Meanwhile, Chang had entered the cell, and said,"Prisoners, we are heading to Hong Kong. And Lao Shi, if you value your family's survival, you will do exactly as I tell you."

With that, she cackled maniacally.

* * *

Done! Please review, so I know what improvements to make! And thank you to those who have done so, your words really encouraged me!


	5. Wedding Preparations

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own ADJL. No copyright infringement intended.

Chapter V: Wedding Preparations

"Jake, my gosh! You've grown!"

Jake moaned in frustration. As always, Aunt Li greeted him with the customary compliment about his height. Aunt Li was a tall, thin woman who looked like his mother, only younger, seven years younger.

"Aunt Li! Its so good to see you again!" said Jake with false enthusiasm. As usual, no one noticed his extreme sarcasm.

Haley, meanwhile, was getting twice as much attention, as almost every one of Jake's relatives seemed to want to fawn over the young girl, who was dressed in a simple pink blouse and lilac skirt.

"Where's Daddy?" said Aunt Li, a look of concern on her face.

"Oh, he's still in Singapore helping out with his friend's funeral. He should be arriving Tomorrow."

"Oh, then while he's away, why don't we spend these next two days together before he comes around. I know this wonderful spa..."

Jake had begun to blank out. He exited his parent's room in the hotel, and made his way to the room where he and Spud and Fu Dog would be spending the trip. (Trixie was crashing with Haley, while Sun, who was there to visit an old friend, lived three blocks away, and would be on standby in case anything happened at the wedding)

When he entered the room, however, he saw Trixie and Spud huddled over something on the floor, and Jake realised what it was.

"My journal! Yo, guys that ain't cool. Give it back!"

Trixie, however, said,"Not so fast, Jake! You got some explaining to do!"

Spud looked equally outraged. "Yeah man, like take for example this post here!"

He began to read: "Trixie and Spud don't understand. They've never been in love with anyone. Not really. Trixie goes on and on about Kyle Wilkins like she thinks a miracle will happen to push them together. Don't make me laugh. And all Spud can do is whine on and on about Stacey. Even he knows its not gonna happen."

Trixie, whose mental efforts to contain her anger were clearly visible, said, in a calm, restrained voice," Jakey, I know you still love Rose, but this is just inflammatory dude! At least talk to us if you got issues!"

"Yeah," said Spud," don't forget, we were Rose's friends too, you know. We may not miss her as much as you do, Romeo, but we do still care, you know!"

Jake, feeling guilty, said," Ok, ok, I'm sorry. Its just, when I wrote that, I wasn't exactly myself."

"We know, Jakey," said Trixie, as an evil grin burst onto her features," thats why we took the liberty of getting our own revenge."

"Ok, wait what?"

* * *

Luong Li Ann saw a small package on her desk, with a gift card that said,"To Aunt Li, from Jake Long."

Smiling, she opened it. _Boom._

* * *

By the time Susan, Jake, Aunt Li's fiance (a tall Frenchman named Jean-Paul) and Haley found Aunt Li, she was covered in sticky cream and cherries, the result of an exploding cake.

When Aunt Li saw Jake, she snarled and said,"You! You demon! Why did you do this to me!"

Susan glared at Jake before apologizing to her younger sister. Aunt Li, however, refused to hear any of it.

"Oh, its ok Susan. I know just the thing to make our dear little prankster here pay..."

Jake gulped. _This is not going well..._

* * *

Jake sighed in frustration as he entered the dance studio where Aunt Li worked. It was just his luck that Aunt Li's feared punishment was exactly that: a punishment.

He was forced to take part in a special dance that would take place at midnight. It was a couple's dance and Jake was scared about who his partner was. Finally, when he made his way to Aunt Li, he noticed she looked rather exasperated.

"Ah, littler demon, you've arrived. Well, you can thank your lucky angel, because your partner was supposed to be Aunt Gina."

Jake cringed. The only thing he could remember about Aunt Gina was the foul stench of cat food that always seemed to emnate from her hair.

"She came down with the flu and won't be able to attend."

Jake leapt for joy. "So I don't have to do the dance, right?"

Aunt Li cackled with unwonted cruelty," Of course you still have to do the dance. Just that, well Susan and I were talking, and we found someone for you. And just to keep you in suspense, you'll never know her until the reception. Isn't that great?"

Jake only had one response.

"Aw Man!"

* * *

Lao Shi awoke to find himself in a new cell in what he presumed was Hong Kong. After a several hour long boat ride, the prisoners were exposed t sleeping gas, and Lao Shi had been quickly knocked unconscious.

Before he could even stand, however, Lao Shi heard the voice of Chang say,"It is pointless to run. The walls are fashioned of unicorn horn."

Lao Shi got up to his feet and looked up at the evil dragoness. "What do you want from me?"

Chang smirked and said,"In order to ensure that the Master is unopposed, the American Dragon Will have an important role to play in his resurrection party. For that, my old friend, we need you."

"How dare you call me old friend, traitor!"

Chang looked for a brief moment saddened and said,"Lao Shi, before you die, I just want you to know this. What we had was real. I really did love you. But the Master, you must understand what he want is only for the good of the dragon race!"

Lao Shi was not having any of it. "You have been blind to his evil! And what we had was nothing but a deception!"

Chang exited the cell. "Believe what you want, Lao Shi, but you know that deep in your heart, love really did exist between us. Maybe in another life..."

With a slam of the cell door, Chang walked away, but not before Lao Shi saw here eyes start to water.

In the meantime, the old man continued his futile attempts to contact Jake, wishing he had given Sun one as well.

* * *

Jake was starting to get impatient. He was sitting at the side of the dance studio, observing the dancers. So far, it was an extremely boring affair. The dance itself seemed graceful enough, and Jake could see the romantic factor in it. The couples were dancing with an intensity that transcended normal human means.

Just then, Fu Dog walked into the room, and, through the corner of his mouth whispered,"Hey kid, you alright?"

Jake shot back,"What do you think, Fu?"

Fu ignored the sarcasm and said, "Listen, when you're done with this, come look for me in your room. I got some information on Eli Pandarus that might interest you."

Jake's interest was piqued, and he waited agonizingly for the torture to end.

* * *

Once the dance rehearsal was over, Jake rushed back to the hotel and burst into his room. What he saw, however, was rather appalling.

Three pixies and a troll were squeezed into the room, along with Fu, Trixie, Spud, Haley and Sun. Upon seeing Jake's questioning face, Fu said,"Kid, these are my friends. The troll over there is Xing, and the pixies are Alphie, Bettie and Gammie. They have some information on Eli Pandarus."

Jake sat down on the floor beside Sun and Trixie. Sun then told the magical creatures to continue.

The troll, who seemed particularly intelligent, said,"Well, as I was saying, we spotted a ship enter the port two days ago. And this guy came out."

A holographic image showed Eli Pandarus walking along the harbour. And right beside him was...

"Chang!" All Team Dragon shouted in unison.

"This is more serious than I thought," said Sun," so we'll have to call in Lao Shi. Jake, as I understand, Lao Shi passed you the communication device?"

Jake was about to reach for his bag when he remembered. For the umpteenth time this week, the young dragon said his catchphrase.

"Awww Man!"

* * *

Sun was pacing around the room in frustration, a look of absolute anxiety on her normally calm and peaceful features.

"Jake, how could you destroy the device? Have you any idea about the danger we are facing? And you go on and destroy the only way we have to contact Lao Shi?"

"Well," said Jake,"I kinda still was in that rage from when I left the old Huntslair, so..."

Sun gave an exasperated sigh. "So what? I'm sure even you would know better than to cut off communications with Lao Shi."

Fu Dog quickly intervened and said,"Hey, hey break it up, guys. We ain't gonna be doin' the old man any favours by sitting around and bickering. We gotta at least try to relay unto him this new info! And fast!"

Trixie then spoke up,"Yeah, its not like we can stop Pandarus by bickering among ourselves."

"And besides," said Spud,"The old man is supposed to be here tomorrow, right? If he doesn't appear, then we'll know something went horribly wrong."

* * *

As all this was happening, Lao Shi was being escorted to a small but lavishly decorated dining room, where Chang and Eli Pandarus sat at opposite ends of a highly-polished mahogany table.

"Ah, Lao Shi," said Pandarus,"so nice of you to join us."

"What do you want?'

"Nothing really, just your allegiance," said Pandarus.

"In exactly twenty minutes, you will be driven from this place to the airport, where your family awaits you. You will act like nothing has happened, that all is fine. On the night of your second daughter's wedding, you will lead your grandson out of the atrium where the reception is to be held. We shall take over from there."

"And if I refuse?"

"Well," said Pandarus," here is what you risk."

A television in the centre of the room flickered to life and showed an image of most of Lao Shi's family in the hotel lounge.

"A bomb has been placed in the hotel that has the potential to blow up the entire building. If you show even the slightest sign of betrayal, then rest assured, you will see your family in pieces."

Lao Shi looked on in horror as he saw Jake, Trixie and Spud all sitting at a bench playing what looked like Monopoly, while Susan and Li Ann where busy chatting, and Haley was playing with Fu Dog. Could he really risk letting all of them go?

Then, Lao Shi realized something. "Why do you need Jake?"

Chang turned a paler shade of green, but Pandarus did not seem to notice.

"Well, according to the prophecy concerning the Sword Of Hades, thirteen drops of the blood of a young dragon must be offered up to the Sword, and then it can be activated."

"But if you need Jake, why risk killing him with this bomb you have? What makes you think I can't get him to escape?"

Eli Pandarus laughed harshly. "You fool! You think you can outwit us? Think, old man. Do you really want to sacrifice your entire family so that the boy can escape?"

Lao Shi realized he was right. There was no way he could possibly outwit them, not with so much at risk. He would have to find a less dangerous way to stop the villains.

"Return him to his cell. He has to prepare for his big day tomorrow." With a barking chuckle, Pandarus had the guards escort Lao Shi back to his cell.

Before he left the room, however, he and Chang briefly shared a look. In the depths of her hard, cruel eyes, Lao Shi saw something he never thought he would see in Chang.

Pity. Mixed with sadness and regret.

* * *

After Lao Shi left the room, Chang turned to Pandarus and said,"You really think it was wise to leave out the part about the boy's death?"

Pandarus looked at her in surprise and replied," You aren't showing any compassion, are you Chang?"

"No, no, its just," said Chang hastily,"I know Lao Shi well enough, and he loves his family to the core. I'm rather concerned that, in his rage, he'll use his influence on the council to obliterate us."

"Ah, Chang, are you showing doubts in the master? So much for "test of loyalty""

"What, of course not! How dare you suggest such calumny against me?"

Deep down, however, she was seriously doubting herself.

* * *

Rose heard her name being called, and went down to the kitchen.

Her mother stood beside the phone, and seemed to have just hung up on somebody.

"You called, Mom?"

"Yes, dear. Remember that dance that Lily is taking part in at the wedding tomorrow night?"

Rose remembered. Very vividly, too. Her sister, the more outgoing of the two, decided to take part in the dance, and as Rose was partnerless, and rather shy, she was going to sit out this one.

"Well, it looks like you'll have a partner after all!"

Rose groaned, praying that at least that guy would be decent.

"He's a Chinese American from New York, and the nephew of the bride. His name, by the way, is Jake Long."

Rose's jaw dropped to the floor in shock.

_Did she just say Jake?_

* * *

_The end! Hope you enjoyed! Thanks to those who reviewed the previous chapters, and I hope you would continue to review._

_Hope you guys take well to what I like to call the "rehumanization of Chang". Maybe its just me, but I don't think she could be all THAT evil, right? At least, she must have felt something for Lao Shi._

_Anyone particularly excited for when Jake and Rose reunite? If you have any suggestions as to what song they can dance to, do drop me a line, or place it in the review section. Hope you are as excited to read their dance as I am excited to write it!_


	6. The Trap

**IMPORTANT Authors Note: THIS IS IT! Jake and Rose reunite! If you have not done so, read Chapter 5 now! It provides the background to what's about to go down**** here!**

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own ADJL. No copyright infringement intended

Chapter VI:The Trap

Finally, the day of the wedding dawned bright. In his hotel room, Jake was busy putting on his tuxedo, while Spud, being Spud, was trying to tie a bow tie, but ended up entangling his hands in the knot.

"You know, I've always wondered why, until now, no one invented a tie tying machine. It'd really just make things a lot easier," said Spud, as Fu tried to untie the Gordian knot.

Just then, Trixie and Haley entered the room. Trixie was dressed in a stunning red dress that fit her figure perfectly, while Haley, who was the flower girl, was dressed like a fairy tale princess, in a pink gown.

"Yo, Jakey, the old man is downstairs. We should go and greet him."

Jake and Spud (who had miraculously untangled himself) exited the room and went down to the hotel lobby, where Lao Shi stood, cantankerous as ever. As Lao Shi approached the pair, Jake noticed that something seemed rather off about his grandfather, as if something was bothering him.

"Yo, G, what's up? You look like the Huntsman just returned."

Lao Shi was about to say something when it appeared he saw something out of the corner of his eye. Composing himself, he merely smiled and said, "Nothing, young dragon. Now, we have a wedding to prepare for."

"Well, looks like we've got company. Sun needs to see you. There's something you definitely want to see."

Lao Shi looked concerned and nodded, promising Jake that he would check it out. With that, Lao Shi walked off. Jake remained suspicious. He would have to keep a close eye on his grandfather.

No one noticed the sinister looking man dressed in casual attire observing the Longs, not during Lao Shi's brief conversation with Jake, and not when he stood up to leave.

He would have to report to his masters. The plan was working.

* * *

_Six hours later.._.

_Well, the wedding is finally over._

Jake was relieved that the wedding was a mercifully quick affair. Neither Aunt Li nor her husband where the photo-taking type and the ceremony was a very swift affair. Which was forutnate because Jake's suit (which in reality, belonged to his great-great-grandfather) was like a prison in the middle if the Sahara Desert. He couldn't even get through to the end of 1 Corinthians before almost passing out of heatstroke.

And he swore that he did in fact suffer from a serious case of hallucinations. As he was exiting the Chapel, he could have sworn he saw a familiar wave of blonde hair and the pierce of sapphire blue eyes standing near one of the side entrances. Before he could investigate, however, his mother had pulled him into a family photo and when he turned back, the spectre of Rose was gone.

_I still can't get over her, then._

Even though he was sure it was just an illusion, possibly caused by the accursed heat, he couldn't help but wish it had all been real. Now, he was seated alone at a mahagony table, waiting for his sentence.

Aunt Li, had, of course, not forgotten her threat, and teased Jake with horror stories of old ladies with criminal records. Jake wasn't 100% sure she was lying.

Just then, he saw her again.

_Rose_

She was walking towards him, dressed in a stunning black dress that hugged her perfect figure just right to show off her curves. Her hair was tied in a ponytail that snaked elegantly across her shoulder. However, something was wrong.

Her eyes were of the wrong colour. They were chocolate brown, rather than sapphire blue. When she opened her mouth, her voice was too high and girly to be Rose.

"Hey, are you Jake Long?"

"Umm..." he stuttered.

"Not one for talking, huh? I'm Lily. Lily Thorne. My twin sister is waiting for you outside on the balcony. Her name's Rose, by the way."

"Rose?"

"Err, yeah. Why, you don't know her, do you?"

"Uh, no, of course not! I'll go meet her right away!"

With that, he walked off to find her. To find Rose...

_So she survived, then._

_But Jake, be careful. You promised yourself not to go chasing after her. You need to let go._

Jake realized that two different voices were struggling for dominance in his mind. One, which had the voice of Trixie, Spud, Fu Dog and Haley all in one was telling him to be careful around her, and after today, let her go permanently.

The other, however, was telling him to go confess to her what happened and provide proof. Transform, show her a photo, whatever.

Interestingly, this voice resembled his grandfather.

* * *

When he reached the balcony, he almost cried out in shock.

Rose was standing there, wearing an cream coloured dress that also snuggly fit her body. She was staring out at the mountain range with a melancholic expression on her face. When he approached, she looked at him, and once again, he drowned in an ocean of sapphire, an ocean that rejuvenated and urged him on. He had almost forgotten the magnetic effect her eyes had on him.

Her expression, however, morphed to one of confusion and anxiety.

"Jake Long, right?"

"In the flesh."

"I'm Rose, you're dance partner."

Jake became elated at this news. So it wasn't going to be a criminally insane old lady then! He quietly breathed a sigh of relief. What she said next, however, shocked him.

"Do I know you?"

Jake did a double take, and stuttered, "W-w-what?"

Rose looked at him with those serious eyes that she used to do whenever they were talking about the Huntsclan.

"I feel like I know you. I mean, I'm from New York too, but it feels like I've known you my whole life. When my mom mentioned I was dancing with you, something clicked. So now, tell me the truth, Mr. Long. How do you know me?"

Jake was taken completely by surprise by Rose's comments that he remained speechless for about ten seconds, his mouth hanging open stupidly.

_She remembers me_

Jake was now in conflict. Should he tell her the truth?

Suddenly, Rose sneezed violently twice. At once, Jake took off his jacket and covered Rose with it, saying,"Here. I wouldn't want you to get a cold."

"You haven't answered my question, Jake."

In a spur of the moment, Jake decided to tell her only half the truth.

"It's true. I did know you. We both went to Millard Fillmore together, although probably won't remember me."

"But that still doesn't explain how I feel like I knew you for my whole life."

_And she still loves me. Even if she doesn't know it yet._

Jake was about to open his mouth when a blue blur dashed past him, yanking his arm. Jake heard Lao Shi yell," Jake! We have to go!"

With a whisper, Jake said,"Goodbye, Rose!"

* * *

As Rose coughed off the dust left in the wake of the mysterious Mr Long, she noticed that he had accidentally left his dinner jacket wrapped around her body. Sighing, Rose trudged off to find the elusive teenager.

While she walked back inside, she replayed the brief conversation in her head. Her suspicions were right. The way Jake looked at her it was almost as if he knew her as a very close friend. Worse, he looked like he _longed_ for her. This only served to deepen her interest in her dance partner.

Suddenly, a violent gust of wind blew past, and a small white rectangle dropped out of the jacket. Curious, Rose picked it up, and took a look at what was obviously a photograph.

What she saw shocked her. And started the flashbacks.

* * *

Jake was being led outside the hotel by his grandfather, whose face was filled with absolute terror.

"Yo, G what was all that about?"

"Chang and Pandarus are here."

"Yeah I know. Didn't Sun tell you?"

When they had reached a small park some distance away from the hotel, Lao Shi turned to Jake, sadness in his eyes.

"Jake, whatever happens, know this. Our family is under danger. There is a bomb in the hotel! P-"

That was as far as he got before a mass of shade demons appeared and ambushed the duo, knocking them out with a few quick blows.

* * *

Trixie and Spud were wandering arpund the ballroom, looking for Jake, when they bumped into Sun, Haley and Fu Dog.

"Yo, guys, where Jake?" asked Trixie.

"I'm afraid we have some bad news," said Sun. "Jake and Lao Shi have been kidnapped."

* * *

As the remaining members of the team gathered inside Trixie's room, Spud asked,"How did you know Jake and the old man were kidnapped?"

"I followed them," said Sun. "Ever since Lao Shi returned he started acting suspicious. So, I spiked his drink with a mixture of Truth Potion and Sleeping pills. During his afternoon nap, I crept into his room and heard him speak in his sleep. Apparently, The Singapore Dragon was already defeated by Chang and Pandarus, and the one Jake met was Chang's doppelganger shapeshifted into Wai Lin's form."

"Then, I heard The startling news about the bomb in the hotel and I knew we had to be careful. So I resolved to keep a very close eye on Lao Shi, and when he and Jake rushed out of the hotel, I shapeshifted into a buttefly to follow them. That was when I witnessed the attack."

Everyone around the room was clearly impressed by Sun's cunning. Then, Fu Dog spoke up.

"Now comes the harder part. Most likely, Chang and Pandarus took them to Ying Peak. Its where the Sword of Hades is supposedly hidden. We'll wait for them there to ambush, but its not going to be easy. They have an army of shade demons, a dragoness with no conscience and an extremely powerful wizard. To even the odds, we should free Jake and Lao Shi first."

"Wait, so how does the Eternal Spyglass fit into all this?" asked Haley.

"Well, the Spyglass locates the exact location of the Sword, and most likely, that will be when they do the ritual to resurrect the Dark Dragon. Apparently, you'll need thirteen drops of blood to resurrect him, and its gotta be done at exactly midnight. Any other time and the resurrected person will only have half as much power."

"Alright," said Sun," its eight 'o' clock. We have four hours to get Jake and Lao Shi back."

Fu turned to the only two humans in the room and said,"Trixie, Spud, in my room you'll find some magic weapons. You can use those when the bloodbath begins."

Trixie and Spud immediately exited the room. However, they had not gone five paces when a familiar blonde faced them with a confused look.

"Trixie?"

"Rose?"

"Spud!" yelled the confused young man, before realizing he spoke out of turn. "Oh, sorry, hehe..."

"But how? Jake wiped your memories when he made that wish!"

"He left his jacket when Lao Shi grabbed him and ran. I returned it and this dropped out," she said, holding a photo of her and Jake at last year's dance.

"Lets just say it brought back a lot of memories."

Fu Dog, who was listening in, said,"This changes everything. With a Slayer on our side who potentially regained her memories of her training, we may just have an advantage. Rose, do you think the Huntsclan has a Hong Kong base?"

Rose tried to recall for a few seconds, before slowly saying, "Well, if I remember correctly, almost every country should have a Huntsclan base."

Sun appeared with Haley in tow. "Well, much as I want to rush in and get the rescuing part over with, it looks like we need to at least get as much help as possible. Rose, Spud and Trixie, try to locate the base and take as many weapons as is practical. We need a lot of firepower to take out the Shade Demon Army. Go, now!"

Finally, the team broke up to attend to their respective assignments

* * *

Meanwhile, in a cold, damp, circular cave in Ying Peak, Jake, Lao Shi and the four dragons from Singapore were chained to the cave walls but what must have been unicorn hair chains. When Jake awoke, Pandarus immediately swooped in and muttered a few incantations.

Immediately, a circular stone altar arose from the cave floor. Two skeletal stone dragons supported the altar, and a single ornate crystal bowl.

"Ah, Mr Long," said Chang," you are finally awake. Well, Pandarus, brief our dear guest on his role in the Master's Re-birth party."

"Yes, of course. Mr. Long, you have the honour of being a blood sacrifice to the Master. Now, we don't want you to worry. Death should be painless. I say should because, well, I've never died!" With that he cackled wildly into the night, a sick sound that echoed in the cave.

"You liars!" said the now wide-awake Lao Shi," You said you would only need some blood!"

"Oh, yes, about that, Lao Shi," said Pandarus, malice glinting in his eye,"I'm afraid we left out the part where we kill the boy, spill all his blood and bring back the entire Dark Army from 600 years ago. Oh well, at least you get to see the magnificence of the Darkness!" A second laugh rang out.

* * *

Chang couldn't stand being near Lao Shi any longer, so she made the excuse of going out to continue searching for the Sword, which was still not in their grasp, and exited the cave.

Breathing in the cold night air, she couldn't help but remember the time she spent with Lao Shi many years ago.

She had been young, but was blinded by power. The allure of the Dark Dragon's goals attracted a socialite political ladder-climbing dragoness like her. Dragons ruling the world! It had been a perfect dream, an invincible ideal. She spent her nights dreaming of the day when the world would bow before her.

Then she met Lao Shi, and things changed.

Lao Shi back then was a lot like Jake now: Reckless, arrogant but with a good heart. His compassion towards other magical and mortal creatures alike challenged her worldview. She soon came to see magical creatures as more than just subjects to be lorded over by the dragons. For a short, halcyon period of time, she felt some compassion.

Then the Dark Dragon called her, and it all went downhill. He wanted to finish the Chinese Dragon, another obstruction to his ascent to power. Chang became reluctant and tried to hide it, but, as if reading her mind, the Dark Dragon knew of her and Lao Shi's time together, and threatened to wipe out her entire home village in Northern China. So, Chang had no choice. She severed away all human emotion and betrayed Lao Shi, becoming the cold-hearten woman she was today.

At the time, it seemed right. Even though her master failed to defeat Lao Shi, she still managed to become a councilwoman ten years later, and remained a spy, burying her guilt underneath her twisted hopes of dragon domination.

With Jake, however, Chang found herself being reminded more and more of the good old days, when she and Lao Shi were an item. In fact, she was starting to wonder whether she made the right choices all those years ago.

Sighing, she gripped the Spyglass tightly and continued the search, hoping deep down that, come what may, she would find a way to gain Lao Shi's trust, and more importantly, his forgiveness.

* * *

_The end! Hope you enjoyed! Please review!_

_On the matter of Jake and Rose's dance, as mentioned in chapter 5, I have four finalists for the song:  
_

_A Thousand Years by Christina Perri  
_

_Love Story by Taylor Swift  
_

_My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dione  
_

_All I Need by Within Temptation  
_

_If you would like me to use any particular song, or if there is any new song I should check out, do tell me either via review or private messaging  
_


	7. Darkest Before Dawn

**Authors Note: I am so sorry for the late update. Really sorry. But it was a long chapter and I wanted to take time to perfect it, so thank you for your patience, and I Hope you enjoy!**

Copyright: I DO NOT own ADJL. No copyright infringement intended

Chapter VII: Darkest Before Dawn

_8:50 pm_

Rose, Trixie and Spud had, with the help of Spud's ever handy laptop, located the Huntsclan base as underneath a museum, and were now in the process of familiarizing themselves with their weapons.

The irony of the moment was not lost on any of them: Though Rose was the Hunter, she was also the most reluctant to fire the Huntstaff. She gripped it with trembling, awkward hands, and when she practiced accuracy with a dummy, she missed by a considerable margin. Trixie and Spud, who were doing much better, could only cringe in fear at what they perceived to be a lost cause.

As Rose stepped up to take a shot for the umpteenth time, memories of her old life flooded back to her, but these were mostly of the suffering she endured under her old masters. As a result, her hands were shaking even more violently. Thus, when she took the shot, the bolt missed by the widest margin seen that night.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she recognized at the hopelessness of the situation. She sat down on the cold, marble floor and begun to sob in despair. Her two companions immediately rushed to her side and started to comfort her.

Trixie began to speak, although her voice seemed hollow, "Its ok, Rose. No one blames you for that. After all, you've been out of commission for several months now."

Rose was inconsolable.

"Don't please. This was a stupid idea. I've never had any training, at least in this life. I've never been Huntsgirl! I get this one chance to save him, and I can't even shoot a bloody staff without missing terribly!"

Trixie tried her best to comfort her, but it was to no avail.

Spud, however, tried a radically different approach.

"Rose," he muttered, in a very low, uncharacteristically serious tone,"do you remember why you even get to live a Huntsclan-less life?"

Both girls looked at him questioningly.

"Never wondered why you got the normal life? Jake sacrificed being with you, Rose. He gave up all hope of being with you. Why? So you could live. So you wouldn't need to die with the rest of the Huntsclan. So you could be_ normal_, Rose."

Rose tried to open her mouth to speak, but only wild stuttering could be heard.

"And now, he's about to die. So, Rose, you better make sure that doesn't happen. Don't let him go, Rose. Fight, for crying out loud! Repay his sacrifice and save him! But you're not gonna do that in your current shape."

Finally, his words had the intended effect. Rose realized he was right. There really was no point in crying when Jake was in danger. She should be striving to improve her fighting technique, not moping about the impossible situation.

_After all_, she thought, _when he saved me from death that was an even harder task for him, letting me go just like that._

With renewed vigour, Rose pressed on.

* * *

_9:45 pm_

Meanwhile, Jake and Lao Shi were still tied to the cave wall, unable to escape or stop the return of the Dark Dragon. As Jake struggled with the ropes, Lao Shi bowed his head in regret.

"Do not struggle, Grandson. Save your energy for later."

"Why G? Why'd you lead me into this trap."

"I had no choice. If I disobeyed they would have blown up the hotel. This way, lesser people will die, and we can still hold out hope of defeating the Dark Dragon."

Suddenly, Pandarus walked in, panting.

"Chang! Where the hell are you? Our guests have arrived."

* * *

_9:50 pm_

As Trixie, Spud, Fu Dog, Haley and Sun made their way up the mountain, Spud checked in on Rose.

"I'm fine, Spud. Just get to Jake. I'll handle things from there."

Sun had decided that Rose would lay hidden as a final assault to surprise Chang and Pandarus. The reformed huntress was now scaling the other, longer, less direct route up the mountain. Meanwhile, the rest would serve as the anvil, attracting the brunt of Chang's forces.

* * *

_10:00 pm_

"What the hell do you mean they arrived. I thought you were sure they wouldn't notice until it was too late! Argh! Never mind, prepare the army." _  
_

"What will you do?"

"I will personally greet the guests myself."

And as Chang, in her dragon form, flew out of the cave, she thought of the hard task of what she had to do. She was going to switch sides, defy the Dark Dragon and risk getting killed, all for one thing, or rather one person.

Lao Shi.

* * *

_10: 20 pm_

The group had not made it halfway up the mountain when they spotted the first sign of trouble.

A magenta coloured dragon flew towards them. It was Chang. Immediately, Sun and Haley transformed, poised for attack. Chang's next move, however, surprised all of them. Instead of fighting, Chang reverted back to human form, a look of sadness etched upon her ancient features. As she walked to the group at a slow pace, the old dragoness raised both hands in a sign of surrender.

"Wait, Korean Dragon. I am not here to fight you."

"Then what do you want, Chang?"

"I come to surrender. And switch sides."

The revelation shocked everyone, and audible gasps could be heard. Sun, on the other hand, remained thoroughly skeptical.

"On what grounds, Chang? We know you will betray us."

Chang was more than prepared for this cold reaction, so she held up her hand and upon her ring finger was a golden ring with a large, heart-shaped ruby. Looking at Fu Dog, she asked,"Surely you remember this ring, Dog?"

All eyes were on the Shar Pei as realization hit him like a speeding train. "It can't be."

"But it is, Fu Dog."

"After all these years, Chang?"

"Forever and Always."

"But I thought you never loved him. Why on Earth would you keep the promise ring her gave you."

Now Chang showed signs of impatience. "Isn't it obvious? I never stopped loving Lao Shi."

Most of the group seemed convinced, except, of course, the naturally suspicious Sun.

"And how do we know this isn't another one of your tricks?"

Chang sighed in exasperation. Taking out a satchel, she faced them all, dead seriousness on her face.

"If Lao Shi's ring will not convince you, perhaps this will."

She took out a long, phallic object. This time, even Sun could not help but stand awestruck.

The Sword of Hades was every bit as macabre as it was legendary. The guard was shaped in the form of a skull, with Latin words etched upon the length of the sturdy blade. The pommel glowed eerily green, as if it contained some dangerous substance.

"Now are you convinced, Sun Park?"

Sun could only stand in shock as the implications of this new development ran through her brain.

"You know what you must do," said Chang, her voice but a faint but clear whisper now. "As long as Pandarus cannot place this magical potion contained in the pommel, he cannot activate the spell. Also, these Latin words are the incantation needed to cast the spell. Now, listen closely. Lao Shi and the rest are being held by unicorn horn chains. You need to find the key, which belongs to Pandarus. Once you free them, run. Do you understand?"

After a collective nod, Chang looked relieved.

"I am truly sorry for the part I have played. If you get to Lao Shi, tell him I love him, forever and always."

With that, the dragoness transformed and flew off into the night, leaving behind a very shocked Team Dragon.

* * *

_10:45 pm_

Unbeknownst to any of them, Pandarus, using a simple spell to enhance his senses, was eavesdropping on them from outside the cave. As he contemplated what to do, the Dark shadow of his master materialized.

"Master, I presume you know about Chang?"

The Dark Dragon's voice was barely suppressing a torrent of fury as he growled,"Of course I do. What a disappointment she turned out to be."

Pandarus knew the voice as "Someone-is-about to die" voice, and spoke in a trembling whisper, "What should I do?"

"Leave the place empty. Set up a trap. When the fools enter the cave, the Shade Demons should prove more than a match."

Pandarus nodded and proceeded to give orders to the Shade Demons' leaders.

"One more thing, Pandarus. It appears that they have another member ascending the mountain from the other side. A Huntress named Rose. I want you to personally see to her end."

Pandarus once again nodded, and started to make preparations.

* * *

_11:00pm_

Rose had never exerted this much physical energy in her life. The cold, jagged surfaces of the mountain were like sharp dagger stabbing into her feet, further exacerbating an already difficult situation.

Suddenly, a grey hawk swooped upon her, almost making her lose her balance. The hawk perched itself on the ground before transforming into a tall, gaunt man dressed in an expensive green business suit, and sporting an extremely radical hairstyle. His features, however, were classically villainous. From Trixie's description, this was was Eli Pandarus.

Rose immediately entered into a battle ready position. Steadying herself for her first battle in several months. Pandaurs took one look at the novice shadow of Huntsgirl and burst into raucous peals pf laughter.

"Now, now, Huntsgirl. Let us not end your life, eh? You know you cannot defeat me. I have the experience, the power, and the intent to kill you, right now."

Rose smirked. "True. But I have something you don't have."

"Oh? And what would that be?"

"Just a long lost boyfriend who wants to kick your ass."

With that, she leaped forward, ready to begin the ass-kicking.

Her first shots missed Pandarus, causing him to cackle in sadistic glee. Her next shot, however, hit him squarely in the chest. As it wasn't set to "Death", the bolt merely threw him back several feet, and Rose quickly moved in to close the gap.

Pandarus snapped his fingers and disappeared,leaving behind a bewildered Rose.

Then he reappeared behind her, blindsiding her with a bolt of blue energy to the face that caused her nose to bleed and flung her three feet back.

Staggering back, Rose realized this was going to take far longer than she anticipated.

* * *

_Approximately the same time_

The rest of the gang managed to get up the mountain and were about to enter the cave when suddenly, more than fifty shade demons appeared out of nowhere, blocking the cave entrance.

Haley and Sun transformed while Spud and Trixie, both carrying Huntstaffs, prepared for battle. Fu Dog, meanwhile, consumed a potion that, according to him, increased speed and strength. Sure enough, the Dog dashed off into the midst of the Shade Demons with blinding speed and began to battle some of them.

This was the cue. The rest of the group sprang into action.

The two dragons worked their way through the mass, using fire and brute strength to pummel as many of the Demons as possible, while Spud and Trixie used their Huntstaffs to great effect as long range weapons, picking off the Demons one by one.

No one could match up to Fu Dog, however. Under the effects of the potion (which Trixie, Spud and Sun suspected contained steroids), Fu was able to create a massive gap in between the ranks of this battalion of demons. One need only look upon his face to see his pure enjoyment at ripping apart this mass of darkness.

It was, however, a Sisyphean task. For every Shade Demon they killed, several more would rise from the ground to take their place.

"Why can't we seem to finish them?" yelled a terrified Haley.

Sun, who was in the process of mauling three demons said,"These demons are the Spirits of evil people who have died in the past life."

Haley groaned as the implications of trying to destroy something like a gazillion dead souls dawned on her.

Suddenly, Spud had an idea. Reaching into his bag, he took out his camera.

Trixie, exasperated, hollered,"Spud! This ain't the time to be taking photos!"

Spud ignored her. Setting the camera to flash, he took several photos. The effect was immediate. The bright flash stunned the demons into submission, and the unlucky few caught in its glare melted into thin air.

At once, Spud continued his barrage, armed with only a camera. Snapping wildly, he sent many demons into oblivion. The remainder, sensing the turning of the ride, fled the scene, and a triumphant Spud turned around to see his astonished friends.

"Spud," said Trixie," how on Earth did you guess?"

The teenager grinned sheepishly and said,"Call it a hunch."

"Well," said Sun,"hunch or not, this fight is not over until Jake and the others are safe."

With that, the rest of the group charged into the cave.

* * *

_11.30pm_

They had been battling for two hours now. Neither side was able to seize the upper hand in this long, tiring dogfight. Whenever Rose tried to trap him, Pandarus would use magic to get away, while Rose's athleticism more than made up for her lack of experience as she dodged her way past Pandarus' attacks.

Somehow, Rose found herself at the edge of a cliff. The dark abyss below frightened the living daylights out of her as she trued to think of a way to defeat the Dark wizard. Suddenly, she thought of an idea.

"Hey Pandarus! Why don't you just get over here and fight like a man!"

Pandarus was taken aback, so Rose continued.

"Its all magic for you, isn't it? I bet you can't even throw a good punch!"

Enraged, Pandarus teleported himself right in front of Rose and coiled his hand back in anticipation. That was when Rose unleashed her trap.

Seizing his arm, Rose placed all the effort she had into smashing his nose before literally flipping Pandarus off the cliff. As he tumbled down, terror fraught in his eyes, Rose sighed in relief and continued racing up the mountain.

* * *

_Unknown time_

As Pandarus was falling, he suddenly heard the whisper of his Master ringing in his ear.

"Pandarus. You have failed me once again!"

Pandarus whimpered,"I am so sorry, master! You must know, the Huntress is more cunning and powerful than we..."

"Quiet, fool! Nevertheless, without you, I cannot rise again, so consider this a parole, and a second chance."

Suddenly, a dark cloud surrounded Pandarus, causing him to feel copious amounts of pain, as if electricity and fire were being applied to all parts of his body. Under immense pain, Pandarus collapsed.

When he came to, he realized he was on the edge of the cliff, and that something had changed. Gone were his idiotic wand and suit, replaced by a sinister dark robe and a massive staff with a skull on its tip. Feeling the power of Darkness coursing through his veins, Pandarus gave his new powers a test-run.

Slamming the staff on the ground, Pandarus summoned fifty new Shade Demons onto the field. These demons were different. They each had weapons upon them, from Middle Ages era swords to Napoleonic muskets to modern assault rifles.

Grinning, Pandarus ordered them to fly to the cave. After transforming into a hawk, he too, took flight.

* * *

_11.45pm_

When Rose stared up into the sky, she was shocked to see a mass of Shade Demons flying towards the cave, accompanied by a familiar looking hawk. Immediately, she called Trixie.

"Trixie? Get everyone out of there. Pandarus is coming with a hell of a lot of reinforcements."

When Trixie was about to put down the phone however, a massive explosion could be heard and the line went dead. Up ahead, Rose could see the brilliant fireworks of the explosion could be seen.

Shocked, Rose ran for her life.

* * *

_Approximately the same time_

When the gang entered the cave, they saw Jake, Lao Shi and three dragons whom Sun recognized as the Dragons from Singapore all tied up by unicorn horn chains.

But there was no sign of Pandarus.

Just then, Trixie's phone rang. It was Rose.

"Trixie? Get everyone out of there. Pandarus is coming with a hell of a lot of reinforcements."

Trixie was taken aback and said,"Sure th-"

Then the explosion happened. Immediately, Sun and Haley transformed and charged into the fray, only to be shot down by what appeared to be a Shade Demon holding an M4 Carbine.

Then, a hawk flew in and transformed into Pandarus. And it looked like the man had gone shopping while he was gone. Dressed in a dark new outfit, and equipped with a sinister staff, Pandarus Immediately cast a spell that immobilized everyone.

Cackling with glee, he extracted the Sword of Hades. He then placed a vial of water inside the crystal bowl that was on top of the altar (which, somehow, was unaffected by the blast). Then, he inserted the pommel into the water, unleashing the green potion. After mixing with the water, the liquid changed into a shade of lime. Then, he took out a talon that Jake recognized as the Dark Dragon's. The talon was dropped into the bowl, and bubbles of gas were produced.

"We shall have to wait five more minutes for the talon to dissolve. In the meantime..."

He approached Jake with unmatched sadism in his eyes. Taking out a knife, he unrolled Jake's jacket sleeve to reveal his wrist. Slowly, Pandarus carved a wound into the boy. The sound of that pained scream reverberated around the room.

"Ah yes, you noticed. This knife was doused in manticore venom. It won't kill you, but it does cause a lot of suffering." He began laughing again.

Then, he took out a small vial and collected thirteen drops of Jake's blood, ignoring Jake's threats of kicking his ass.

Glancing at his watch, Pandarus saw that the talon had dissolved. It was now 11:59 pm.

Quickly, he poured Jake's blood into the bowl, and the liquid became coal black as more pungent fumes were produced.

Pandarus' watch beeped to signal midnight. With one last look at the gang, he read the words on the Sword.

"Hic ope consurge pulcherrimae atque invictissimi domini!"

A tremor was felt. The bowl split open and from the gap in the Earth, a dark figure arose, laughing maniacally.

The Dark Dragon had returned.

* * *

_End of chapter. Once again, thank you for your patience. I hope you enjoyed and I'll see you soon. Please Review! Thanks a lot!_


	8. Descent Into Darkness

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own ADJL. No copyright infringement intended

Chapter VIII: Descent Into Darkness

"Hello Lao Shi"

The Dark Dragon stood towering over all those gathered, a wildly malicious grin spread across his face. His very aura exuded power and destruction. As he landed safely on the other side of the chasm made by the earthquake, more Shade Demons emerged from the abyss, forming an as of yet unseen army.

"Pandarus, release those four," he said, gesturing to the Wai Lin and her companions.

"Yes, master, but why?" asked an apprehensive Pandarus.

"You dare question me? Let them go, I say. Let them spread the word of my return!"

Pandarus immediately extracted a key and unlocked their chains. Without wasting a single second, the four dragons flew out of the cave as fast as they could.

But not fast enough.

As soon as they exited the cave, the Dark Dragon took flight in pursuit of them. A sickly sound of four dragons screaming in agony, followed by an oddly metallic sound, as if the Dark Dragon was ripping apart stainless steel, was met with revulsion by the remaining heroes. The sound of a deep, dark cackle only confirmed their suspicions.

When the Dark Dragon returned, blood was dripping from his fangs and talons, and a satisfied look was etched upon his face.

"That takes care of them. Now for the rest of you."

He approached Spud, took the camera from him and smashed it with just his talons.

"Can't have that around my friends, can we boy? Now, let us see if Mr. Long might still be able to save the day."

* * *

Jake was released from his chains, his wrist still burning in torturous agony. The Dark Dragon was going to fight him one on one to spill his blood into the abyss and reawaken his army. So, Jake transformed, hoping that, like on Draco Island and in the New York sewers, someone would help him. Now, not even his grandfather could help, as everyone else stood immobilized.

The two foes circled each other like hawks flying in the sky, neither side willing to take the first strike. Instead, they were content with staring at each other with determination and hatred.

"Tell me, boy. How does it feel knowing that your death will usher in a golden era for dragons?"

"The only thing I'll be ushering in is your butt into hell."

"So be it."

With that, both dragons roared and the battle began.

Jake began well, using his speed to dodge most of the Dark Dragons attacks, and pretty soon began to fight back with his own attacks. Like a tennis match, the two went back and forth at each other until it soon became a stalemate.

Panting, Jake realized that his energy was slowly running out, whereas the Dark Dragon looked like he just got out of bed.

Then, Jake made the mistake of standing still for too long, allowing his foe enough time to fire a deadly bolt of dark fire. The projectile hit him in the face, sending him flying back several feet.

* * *

Rose was about five minutes away from the cave when she heard four shrieks in the distance, followed by a very sinister laugh.

_We failed. He's back._

Rose was trying hard not to suppress her tears as she prayed that they were alright, especially Jake.

_This is no time for tears!_

Placing a new burst of energy in her step, Rose dashed the remainder of the trip, Huntstaff ready and with only one purpose in mind.

_Looks like I'll be saving Jake. Again. _

* * *

Meanwhile, the duel between Jake and the Dark Dragon was still ongoing, and it was very obvious who was winning.

With a heavy grunt, Jake tried his best to land a blow. But, as if hell had only served to strengthen him, the Dark Dragon was much faster than Jake remembered, and much stronger. No matter what he tried, his enemy could dodge with relative ease for someone so big and bulky. Like a cobra, the Dark Dragon would retreat out of Jake's range, letting him overextend the attack, before launching in a quick, deadly counterattack, before flying back out of range.

Finally, a desperate Jake let loose a huge torrent of fire. The Dark Dragon merely smirked and held out his hand to catch the flames in his talons. Shocked, Jake stood immobilized for a second too long.

The Dark Dragon proceeded to hurl back the fire, and Jake was too slow. It hit him squarely in the chest, sending him flying backwards. He had barely enough time to recover before the Dark Dragon swooped in and hit him in the face with his tail, before unleashing a violent flurry of punches. Exhausted, Jake started to collapse.

But the Dark Dragon was barely even done.

Using his massive strength, he lifted the limp form of Jake high into the air, before flying back down at a blinding speed. The impact of the crash caused another crack to form in the Earth as Jake was smashed back first into the ground. With so much of his energy sapped out of him, the poor kid reverted back into a human.

The Dark Dragon began smiled viciously in triumph as he hovered over the boy.

_Finally. It ends tonight_

"Pandarus! Pass me the Sword!"

Pandarus threw the sword towards his master, who caught it with both hands. Examining the blade, he said,"I remember when I first forged this, so many years ago. It did come in quite handy. And now, it shall be the instrument of my rise!"

He raised the sword, and swooped in to kill Jake.

Then, several things happened at once.

A green bolt of energy smashed straight into the Dark Dragon's chest while in mid-flight, while a lone figure clad in black and carrying a very familiar staff launched out of the shadows and kicked Pandarus with brutal force, causing the wizard to fly to the edge ofthe chasm. A second green bolt threw him off his feet and into the abyss.

Rose stepped out of the shadows, fury etched onto her face as she charged straight at the Dark Dragon.

She was, however, far too slow and the Dark Dragon was much swifter. He immediately recovered from the attack before rapidly firing away at the running Huntsgirl with bolts of black flames.

Rose was trying her best to dodge the attacks, but unfortunately, the adrenaline rush which had pushed her so far was starting to wear thin, and fatigue was setting in. She knew that she could not hold on any longer. Quickly, she leaped across the chasm, and started firing away with her Huntstaff. She barely got three shots at him however, when a bloodcurdling shriek rang out from the bottom of the abyss.

Almost immediately, the rest of her friends broke out from their paralysis and Rose finally understood. Pandarus had finally reached the bottom of the abyss and whatever was down there finally killed him. His death also broke the immobilization of her friends.

Without blinking an eye, Lao Shi and Sun transformed and began attacking the Dark Dragon, giving Rose enough time to reach a half-conscious Jake.

"Jake? Jake! Wake up!"

"Rose,"mumbled Jake feebly,"you remember now."

"Yes, I do, Jake. But now is not the time for a reunion party. You have to get up!"

"I can't. My arm." He started to gesture at a festering wound on his right sleeve.

Rose gasped in shock as she examined the wound. "What happened to you?"

"Manticore venom," he whispered.

Rose, terrified of the implications, said,"Jake, manticore venom is the most deadly venom in the world. It can cause immense torture and hallucinations. We have to get out of here! Come on, just lean on my shoulder."

Together, the pair tried to get out of the cave while the others distracted the Dark Dragon and his forces.

Unfortunately, it was at that point that the hallucinations started.

* * *

Jake was trying to hold on when suddenly, he found himself collapsing onto the floor. When he felt someone stirring him up, he opened his eyes and was shocked to see Huntsgirl staring at him with a deathly glare. Reacting instinctively, Jake transformed and began fighting Huntsgirl.

Rose, on the other hand, was confused as to this sudden change in his behaviour, until she realized that the venom was taking hold. Without any choice, Rose had to raise her staff to defend herself.

Jake saw this as Huntsgirl raising her staff, ready to blast him. Without even blinking, he swooped down and knocked her clean off her feet. He then tried to finish her off with a burst of flames.

Then the hallucinations abruptly stopped. And Jake could only stare in remorse at the sight of a helpless Rose, nearly unconscious and completely overpowered.

* * *

After making quick work of Sun and Lao Shi, the Dark Dragon turned around to finish off Jake and Rose.

But he need not have worried so much, for what he saw was a pitiful teenage boy huddling over his girlfriend, tears streaming down his eyes.

With a smirk, the Dark Dragon proceeded to kill off his last remaining enemies.

* * *

When Jake saw the Dark Dragon closing in on them, he kissed Rose one last time before transforming back. The Dark Dragon sneered at this feeble resistance.

"Don't you think you've had enough of a thrashing, boy?" he asked almost lazily.

"Not until I'm through thrashing you."

Then, an idea sprang into the boy's head. It was a risky move, and might end up going very wrong, but at the present moment, there was simply no way to defeat this invincible demon.

Jake positioned himself such that he was just above the abyss.

And when the Dark Dragon moved in for the attack, Jake flew up, dodging the attack.

Then, he swung downwards, pushing the Dark Dragon deeper and deeper into the abyss. At the same time, he punctured several holes in the Dark Dragons wings using his talons and teeth, crippling the flight abilities of this most dangerous foe.

After going in several feet, Jake used all his might, or what was left of it and tried to fly upwards, as fast as he could.

For a while, Jake thought he could make it. He was about three feet away from freedom, and all it would take was to find a way to close that abyss, since the Dark Dragon could no longer fly.

Then it started to go horribly wrong.

He could suddenly see a horde of Shade Demons entering the abyss, pushing Jake down with them into the Darkness.

The last thing he heard before the darkness enveloped him was the sound of a voice.

It was the voice of Rose, shouting out one word.

"Jake!"

* * *

Having regained some form of consciousness, Rose got to her feet to see two dragons, one bright red, the other coal black, plummeting deep into the abyss. With bated breath, she looked down into the darkness to see the two of them growing smaller and smaller in the distance.

Then, she heard tearing noises, and noticed that the red shape was growing bigger and bigger, a look of exhausted triumph on his face.

But it appeared the Dark Dragon has one last trick up his sleeve.

The Shade Demons stopped whatever they were doing, and in unison, flew down the hole, pushing Jake down with them.

Realizing what was happening, Rose could do nothing but stand rooted to the ground in fear, shouting out the name of the one she had lost.

_And just when I had found him._

Lao Shi and Sun Park had also gotten to their feet. Looking around, Lao Shi asked where Jake and the Dark Dragon. Rose's gesture to the abyss was all it took to give him the answer.

"No! That's not possible!" said Lao Shi, falling to his knees.

Sun immediately rushed to the old man's side to assist him in getting back up. Rose, on the other hand, collected her Huntstaff and said,"I'm going back down there."

Lao Shi stared at her in shock, saying,"No, Rose! No one can possibly get out of then netherworld! It's never been done before!"

Rose, however, was past all hesitation, and, with a determined tone, shot back," I have to go. Jake's risked his life for me more than once. Its time I returned that favour. And besides, hell isn't going to be so bad with him at my side." The tremor in her voice, however, said an entirely different story.

Lao Shi realized there was no point arguing with Rose, so he merely nodded and said,"Let me go with you, then."

"Lao Shi, no!" exclaimed Sun.

But the old man was adamant that he had to go. After saying their goodbyes to Sun, Haley, Fu, Trixie and Spud, Lao Shi transformed and let Rose onto his back. With one last look at their friends and family, the duo descended down into the abyss.

* * *

As Rose and Lao Shi continued to fly into the abyss, Rose noticed that the temperature, rather than becoming hotter and hotter, was becoming far colder than she expected, and it suddenly reminded her of the Ski Trip. She also noticed that the tunnel seemed to have many scratch like markings, as if some ancient being was trying to clamor its way back out.

Almost abruptly, Lao Shi stopped flying, and Rose realized that the tunnel has become horizontal. In front of them stood a gate, about twenty feet tall, made of a dark grey material. Two grotesque gargoyles stood guard over the gates and etched at the top of them was a phrase in Latin that Rose understood from studying Dante.

_Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate_

_Abandon all hope, ye who enter her_

Lao Shi looked back at Rose, who had dismounted.

"Ready, Rose?"

"As always."

As if on cue, the gates opened with a very loud creaking sound, and at once the temperature dropped to far below zero as a wild gale blasted in their face. In the distance, some unearthly roar could be heard, making Rose fear the worst.

Ignoring both the cold and the fear, the two of them entered this dark place, where no light or warmth can reach.

Hell.

* * *

_Thanks for reading! If you have any suggestion as to what hell should be like, do review! All feedback is appreciated. See you all real soon!_


	9. Into Hell

**Authors Note: Merry Christmas! Sorry for taking so long to update, my holiday to the Philippines meant that I had no Wi-Fi. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

**As a heads up, my next one will be released around December 31. See you soon.**

Chapter IX: Into Hell

Hell was far different than Rose imagined.

Instead of the "Lake of Fire" that many a pastor was preaching about, hell was a frozen wasteland, barren and desolate, covered in thick sheets of ice. It was so cold, in fact, that even when Rose tried to rub her hands together to keep warm, no heat was produced from the friction.

"It is no use, Rose," said Lao Shi," for those in hell were so cold-hearted in life that in the next life, they recieve no warmth in return, completely separated from the gentle, soothing warmth of love. Thus, in hell no heat can be produced."

As they journeyed on, Rose realized thatthe weird looking structures in the grou d were not actually random ice statues, but were actually living beings encased in the ice, completely immobile. And Rose realized that she recognized the people in those statues.

It was the Huntsclan.

"So this is where I would have gone," she whispered.

"Not necessarily, my dear. After all, you betrayed your clan to help us fight them."

Going on a little further, Rose also noticed that there was also an occasional shrieking roar of agony.

"Those are the souls of people who choose to give up their torture and lose their humanity, thus becoming the Shade Demons we know today," said Lao Shi in a very worried tone.

"Where do you think Jake is?" asked Rose.

Lao Shi's faced turned dark with fear as he replied," I honestly do not know."

They had finally reached a massive chasm. The icy pit below seemed bottomless, and more shrieks could be heard from this dark place. Instantly, a shimmering spirit appeared before the two of them. It was a tall, muscular man with a bald head and a dragon-shaped tattoo running down his upper body.

It was the Huntsman.

"Ah, Huntsgirl," he sneered," I see you still choose to side with the enemy."

Neither Rose nor Lao Shi answered. They merely stood, ready to engage in another brutal fight.

"Now, now. Let us not make this ugly," Huntsman continued."I only came here to deliver a message."

Suddenly, his voice morphed to become a cooler, slicker, more sinister voice. The voice of the Dark Dragon.

"Ah, Lao Shi. I knew you'd come. On to business, then. If you want to see your grandson alive, follow the marked path. Alone. If anyone follows you, I kill him instantly. Huntsman will keep guard of any extra baggage you brought along."

With that, a strange purple glow began lighting up, continuing into the distance.

Immediately, Lao Shi transformed and started down the path. Rose, however, was more cautious.

"Lao Shi, wait!"

But Lao Shi only turned back, a serene look on his face. "Do not fret, Rose. All will be well."

* * *

As Rose watched Lao Shi walk off into what she was sure was certain doom, she also became aware that she was alone with her one time master in hell of all places. Turning to face the Huntsman, she realized that he had disappeared. She frantically whipped her head around, trying to locate him.

Out of nowhere, the Huntsman suddenly speared in front of Rose and used his staff to knock her clean off his feet. Her instincts took over and she leapt to her feet before unleashing a green bolt straight at where he stood.

Shockingly, instead of killing him, the bolt merely bounced off his chest and hit the floor, causing it to shake violently for a brief moment.

The Huntsman laughed mirthlessly. "Fool, I'm dead! What more can you do to me?"

He was right. The next twenty or so minutes of fighting served to prove his point. Whereas all his blows could do a lot of damage to Rose, all of her blasts, punches and kicks were completely useless.

Finally, Rose realized she was being dragged further and further to the edge of the chasm. Even though she was a naturally curious person, diving into cliffs in hell was just taking things quite a bit too far.

As she stood in between a killer and certain death, Rose tried to be brave, but even she could not stop the uncontrollable shaking hands or the occasional quiver of the lip.

The Huntsman now approached his prey with a completely sinister gait, like a panther about to strike.

Then, a very familiar voice rang out.

"Yo, Hunts-punk. Looks like even death ain't enough of a punishment for you."

A red mass swooped down, throwing a huge icicle straight at the Huntsman. Unlike Rose's attacks, this icicle was part of hell, part of the very torment the Huntsman was to endure. Thus, it succeeded where Rose couldn't and knocked the Huntsman into the air. A second icicle was just enough to push him right off the edge. With a final, vindictive scream, the old enemy fell into the pit until his voice itself was consumed by the darkness.

The red dragon transformed back into the smirking figure of an Asian teenager with spiky black hair and coal black eyes. He had barely landed, however, when a throttling grip on the part of Rose nearly suffocated him.

"Jake! But I thought... what happened?"

"Well, it is one hell of a story," said the exhausted teen.

"When I landed here, I saw the Dark Dragon flying off into the distance with those Shade Demons of his. So, I decided to stay low for the while, and try to find a way out of here. Then, I heard the Huntsman's voice boasting about his deadness somehow making him invincible, so I flew in your direction and saw you about to get killed."

"Well, it's a good thing you came just in time."

Then, a horrible realization struck Rose.

"Jake, Lao Shi went off to find the Dark Dragon. The Hunstman delivered a message saying he had you hostage and that the old man was to go face him alone."

The little colour from Jake's face drained.

"We have to find him, then."

Luckily for them, a faint trace of that mysterious purple glow still lingered, allowing them to follow the trail.

As the duo proceeded along the trail, Jake said," It's really freezing in hell. You know, somehow I can't breathe fire here."

Rose explained to Jake about the condition of hell, and how no warmth was to be found here.

"That explains it. Wait, earlier I saw the Dark Dragon breathe some kind of purple fire to clear a way through all the ice. How'd he manage that?"

Rose shrugged. "I'm really not sure. Maybe his fire isn't like normal fire, since he is kinda immersed in evil."

The two of them merely trudged along in silence.

* * *

Lao Shi followed the purple trail until he at last reached a fearsome icy fortress, towering high. The entrance, which resembled a gladiator arena entrance, was guarded by two Shade Demons.

The two demons barely registered his appearance. Instead, they seemed to be waiting for someone else, as their gaze was directed far into the distance.

Meanwhile, the entrance opened up, and Lao Shi set foot into the biggest, yet most deserted arena he had ever seen. Literally no one was watching the battle between him and his old foe.

Speaking of the Devil, a cold voice rang out from across the arena.

"Long Lao Shi, at last I have you within my grasp."

Turning to face the Dark Dragon, Lao Shi shot back,"Where is my grandson?"

The Dark Dragon's macabre laugh was enough to tell Lao Shi the truth. "You never had him all along, didn't you?"

"No. And you just walked right into my trap." Another round of evil laughter echoed through the empty arena.

"Well, regardless, I know I've got enough strength within me to dish out the old-school butt whalloping. Again."

"We shall see, old man."

From his podium high up in the spectator stand, the Dark Dragon dived down towards Lao Shi, and once again, two foes locked horns for the fate of the world.

* * *

Jake and Rose were still a long way from the arena when they heard the two dragons roaring in the distance.

"That must be them. We better hurry."

Rose then realized something. "Jake, what happened to your wound?"

"Oh, I think it must have healed, because when I came down here, because as soon as I landed, the pain seemed to go away."

Immediately, the two sprinted off after the trail.

* * *

Neither the sapphire blue or the coal black dragon seemed to tire in this perpetually dangerous, dance-like duel. Indeed, it seemed as if the two of them were participating in some elaborate dance routine rather than fighting. Their very moves seemed to be a coordinated sequence, and both sides were stuck in a stalemate.

But the Dark Dragon had a very big advantage over his old adversary: stamina.

Whereas the Dark Dragon was just as strong and vicious in his attack as he was at the start of the battle.

Lao Shi, on the other hand, well aware that if the fight was not ended decisively in his favour soon, he would start to loose energy, and old age had only served to make him weaker.

Very little time was wasted, then. As soon as the battle began, Lao Shi put forth the best efforts he could muster to dodge, deflect and counterattack the Dark Dragon's moves.

But even his best was not enough.

It seemed as if in hell, the dark powers within had only served to strengthen his adversary and make him twenty times stronger than Lao Shi remembered.

And then, just as he began to loose hope, salvation came.

The two Shade Demons who were standing guard at the entrance suddenly were blasted through the gate, and in came Jake and Rose, standing battle-ready.

The Dark Dragon was genuinely surprised by the new arrivals, but completely shook off all signs of it with a sneer.

"American Dragon, and Huntsgirl both in one package! Do you really wish me to kill you? After all, you are already in hell."

In response, Rose used her staff to send a barrage of energy bolts at him. The Dark Dragon merely swatted them aside like irksome flies.

"So be it. Pandarus, Huntsman! Take care of our new arrivals!"

Immediately, Eli Pandarus and a resurrected Huntsman emerged from behind them and the battle resumed.

* * *

Jake was facing off with Eli Pandarus, who was proving more than capable of putting the young dragon on his toes. His magic staff was so fast at shooting energy blasts that Jake was having a hard time just dodging the attack. And the worst part was that there was simply no avenue of attack for him, leaving the battle to a stalemate.

It was much better on Rose's side. She was up against the Huntsman, and this time, aware that she could not hurt him with her own attacks, used her amazing agility to dodge his attacks, relying on using her staff to cause mini-explosions that would trip him up, and hurling shattered pieces of ice at him to slow his advance.

Meanwhile, re-energized by the appearance of reinforcements, Lao Shi renewed his battle with fresh vigor. And it showed as he pressed the Dark Dragon back with constant offensive maneuvers. Despite not being able to use fire in hell (ironically), he was still able to land the hard scratch on the Dark Dragon's scales.

As the three way Battle Royale was taking place, unbeknownst to any of our heroes, a strong group of Shade Demons had just emerged from beyond and was getting ready to ambush the trio.

* * *

With one last, tired grunt, the Huntsman charged at Rose, staff ablaze. Rose, who had carefully conserved her energy, merely sidestepped and allowed her former master to smash headfirst into the wall of the arena. Out cold, the Huntsman was out of the fight.

Turning her attention back to the fight, Rose decided to help Jake. She sneaked up behind Pandarus and shot another bolt at the dark wizard's back. He was knocked off his feet, ending his relentless barrage. Jake swooped in, lifted the unconscious Pandarus into the sky, and flung him across the arena where ended up piled atop the Huntsman.

Without missing a beat, Jake and Rose rushed forward to help Lao Shi.

The Dark Dragon started to back off, realizing he was cornered. Outnumbered three to one, he pretended to flee towards the stands. Jake and Lao Shi flew after him.

But it was a deadly trap.

Once the two dragons were where he wanted, the Dark Dragon gave an ear-shattering, bloodcurdling roar. From the spectator stands, a massive black tidal wave rose up. Shade Demon after Shade Demon hurled themselves at the duo, reminiscent of Japanese kamikaze planes, and hurling them straight into the ground. As Rose watched on in horror, she barely registered two other demons coming from behind and grasping her in a vice-like grip until it was far too late.

The Dark Dragon flew up into the sky, laughing with malicious glee at his own cunning deception. Looking down at his captured prey, he said," Fools! You really thought it would be so easy to defeat me? The original council alone could not even touch me!"

From his hand, he conjured up a three-faced pyramid with a blue, red and green dot on each face.

"Let us make this interesting, shall we? If it lands on blue, Lao Shi fights me. Red, the American Dragon and green, Huntsgirl."

He rolled the dice and with bated breath, the three of them waited.

It was green.

The Shade Demons let Rose go and shoved her into one side of the arena, while the Dark Dragon landed on the other side.

"Oh, I forgot to mention. If you win, your friends die. And if you die, they get a chance to escape."

Rose was shocked at this brutal wager, but knew better than to waste energy arguing.

"Bring it."

* * *

Lao Shi could only watch in horror as he witnessed Rose stepping up to face the Dark Dragon. Despite the impressive performance she put up tonight, Lao Shi knew full well Rose was no match against the Dark Dragon. It was like comparing an ant to a boot.

He knew what he had to do.

As a member of the Dragon Council, Lao Shi was given access to a secret power that only Council members could possess. A power so amazing that using it would drain a dragon to the point that it would not be able to transform for a few days, thus making its use very limited to very desperate situations. Like now.

Closing his eyes, Lao Shi began a mental chant, focusing his chi energy into his own heart. As he continued in silent meditation, trying to activate the power, Rose and the Dark Dragon began their duel.

* * *

Rose had fought many magical creatures before, but nothing could prepare her for The Dark Dragon at full power.

The battle had gone wrongly. Rose had tried to end it quickly by going full on the offensive. At first, the Dark Dragon had retreated, fooling Rose into thinking she was pushing him back. In reality, he was just trying to make her overconfident.

By the time ten minutes had passed, Rose had been so arrogant as to assume that the battle was going to be an easy one.

Then the Dark Dragon reminded her of something that changed the course of the battle.

"Well done, Huntsgirl. I see the Huntsman has trained you well. But before you go on to fail to defeat me, let me remind you about the conditions of the battle."

It was then that Rose remembered that if she won, Jake and Lao Shi would be killed.

This slight pause in the battle was just a large enough window of oppurtunity for the Dark Dragon to begin the counterattack. And Rose was not prepared for the sheer ferocity her enemy would shower upon her.

* * *

Jake saw the whole battle and knew that Rose would soon be in trouble.

"Gramps, we gotta do something! Gramps?"

Lao Shi seemed almost fast asleep. His head was bowed and his eyes were closed. Jake knew at once what he was doing.

When Jake found out that Lao Shi was placed on the council, he was also informed of one of the benefits of being named a council member.

* * *

_(Flashback)_

"Councilman? Say what?"

"Indeed, young dragon. So no more nonsense. Or Else."

"Awwww man!"

It was an ordinary day in the shop. Lao Shi had just returned from Draco Island, and immediately told Jake and Fu Dog of the good news. Of course, good was up to perspective.

Fu was estatic. "Oh boy, our old man. Finally a councilman. Its like a dream come true."

"So, G. Besides getting an increase of naggy, any other super powers you got?"

"As a matter of fact, grandson, yes. It's called the power of the Awakening. Basically, it allows me to summon the spirit of a past dragon councilman to aid me in battle, or to give me counsel."

"Cool!" both Jake and Fu said, eyes wide in amazement.

* * *

Rose continued her fight with the Dark Dragon, but now the roles were reversed. Rose was being driven back by the sheer might of the Dark Dragon. She even suspected he wasn't even using half his full strength.

The fire he produced was also different. Whereas previously her staff could block the fire of any dragon, this dark flame only knocked her several feet back.

She was also hesitant to defeat her enemy, knowing full well the horrible consequences of doing so.

As a result, she was only parrying his blows, without trying to get inderneath his impenetrable defenses and landing her own blows.

Then, the Dark Dragon did the impossible. He retreated several paces, closed his eyes and suddenly became invisible. Rose tried to fire afew bolts around, but the Dark Dragon Was nowhere in sight.

Suddenly, he reappeared behind her, and she was too slow to defend his incoming attack.

In a flash, she was on the ground, her body bleeding profusely.

* * *

Jake saw the whole thing.

The Dark Dragon had lifted Rose into the air, used his talons to scratch her multiple times, then put her under his feet as he drove her into the ground. The limp form of Rose lying on the ground, blood oozing from her.

Jake turned to Lao Shi. If he had made contact with the spirits, now was the time to let them step in.

And lucky for him, the time was now.

* * *

The Dark Dragon was about to finish off Huntsgirl when a bright light shone through the darkness of hell, illuminating every nook and cranny.

The light came from Lao Shi himself. His body was glowing, and a weird chant could be heard, but his lips were not moving.

With a gasp, four lights, in the colours blue, red, yellow and green, emerged from his body. These lights surrounded the Dark Dragon and manifested in the spectral forms of four ancient looking dragons.

The original members of the Dragon Council had arrived.

The red dragon then spoke up. "Antiochus Necrosse, you have been charged with crimes so horrifying that no defence is possible for you. The council will now decide your fate."

The blue dragon, a female, said," Councilwoman von Kruger of Europe votes death."

The yellow dragon, a male with a husky voice, said,"Councilman Murtabak of Africa votes death."

The green dragon, another male with a high-pitched voice, said," Councilman Nirbiru of Atlantis votes death."

The red dragon then said,"Councilman Li of Asia votes death. Antiochus Necrosse, the council has unanimously voted for your execution. Judgement passed.

From their palms, the four dragons shot out four beams of pure white light. These beams hit the Dark Dragon straight in his body. This was followed by a very loud, venomous shriek.

When the light died down, the Dark Dragon was encased in ice.

The Shade Demons at once disappeared, and Jake and Lao Shi rushed to Rose.

The four spectres gathered around and with another chant, healed Rose, who awoke in Jake's arms.

"Wh-what happened?"

"Its a heck of a long story, Rose," and Jake leaned in to kiss her.

Before he could do so, however, the four spectres said,"Rose Thorne! As a reward for your aiding the dragons, we will allow you to go back to the world of the living."

"Luong Lao Shi, your actions are mos thonorable and fitting of a dragon master. You too may return."

"Jake Long, as a reward for your actions, you will enter paradise."

This announcement shocked all three of them.

"Say what? I'm not dying yet!"

The four spectres looked rather sad.

The red dragon spoke up. " During your descent into the world of the damned, the venom in your bloodstream killed you. I',m sorry, Mr. Long, but you are dead, and no one may cheat death."

* * *

_End of Chapter._

_Hope you enjoyed! Do review!_


	10. A Thousand Years

**Authors Note: Thank you for your patience! The reason why this came on so late was because, initially I wanted Jake to stay dead and as Rose would traveL back to the wedding, she would feel Jake's spirit and dance, but I just couldn't pull it off. So I re-wrote it. **

**On a separate note, I'm also really thankful for everyone's wonderful words of encouragement throughout Starcrossed. They really do help an author stay focused! **

**And now, without further ado, I present to you the long awaited ending of Starcrossed. Enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own ADJL. No copyright infringement intended.

Extra disclaimer: I Also DO NOT own A Thousand Years, which is fully the effort of the amazing Christina Perri. No copyright infringement intended

Chapter X: A Thousand Years

_Previously on Starcrossed_

_"Jake Long, as a reward for your actions, you will enter paradise."_

_This announcement shocked all three of them._

_"Say what? I'm not dying yet!"_

_The four spectres looked rather sad._

_The red dragon spoke up. " During your descent into the world of the damned, the venom in your bloodstream killed you. I',m sorry, Mr. Long, but you are dead, and no one may cheat death."_

* * *

Lao Shi immediately asked, "Is there no other way? My grandson is too young too die."

"I am sorry, Lao Shi," said Councilman Li, "but no other way is foreseeable. I will give you five minutes with your grandson. Then, you must return with Ms. Thorne, and Mr. Long is to follow us."

As a devastated Jake turned to Lao Shi and Rose, tears began forming in his eyes, tears reflected in the eyes of both his grandfather and his girlfriend.

"Gramps! We have to find a way out of this!"

"I am sorry young one, but even I cannot go against the will of Nature."

Jake tried to come up with a rebuttal, but failed, his mouth hanging wide open in shock.

"Jake," said Rose, in the most calm amd controlled voice she could muster," remember that night on the Pantheon, when you thought I was dying?"

"Remember how you held on to my hand til the very end?"

Jake nodded, not knowing where this was going.

"This time, our roles are reversed, but my advice still stands. Don't be afraid, Jake. It will all be ok."

By now, Jake was already losing control.

"It'll be ok."

And with that, Rose leaned in to kiss Jake one last time, putting months of restrained emotion into the kiss. And in that moment, Rose knew she would never love anyone more than Jake.

When they parted, Jake immediately turned to his grandfather. Though they no doubt had their fair share of disagreements, Lao Shi still loved his grandson.

"I could never have been more proud of you, Jake." Lao Shi's voice was saturated with sadness and pride in the dragon he helped raise and trained. No matter what awaited Jake, Lao Shi would always miss him terribly.

The three of them then joined together in a group hug. In those precious few moments, all three people tried and failed to say something, and words of farewell went unspoken in the air.

Finally, Councilman Li spoke up.

"It is time."

Jake wiped away all tears. Now was not the time to shed More tears. He had to be strong for both Lao Shi and Rose.

The four spectres closed ranks around Jake, and a bright light started to flash around them. When the light reached a blinding climax, a violent gush of wind blew through the depths of hell, and angelic choirs could be faintly herd singing.

Almost as quickly as it came, the amazing phenomenon ended, and Lao Shi and Rose were suddenly caught in the currents of the wind, being blown back to the world of the living.

Jake was gone completely.

* * *

When Jake opened his eyes, he found himself in his room, and it was bright and early in the morning.

_It must have all been a dream._

What greeted him next, however, tore apart this thought.

"Welcome to my kingdom, Mr. Long.

Jake sat up on his bed, and was confronted by the sight of none other than Lao Shi.

"Oh, I merely take the form of the person closest to you. Let me introduce myself. You know me as God."

"Say what?"

"Yes. I am God. Yes, you have just died and yes, you are now in heaven."

"Not really what I expected, God,"

"Yes, well, I made this place look like your home in New York because I needed to speak to you. And we all want to be as comfortable as possible."

God moved to the window, and continued.

"As you no doubt remember, the Dark Dragon, Antiochus Necrosse, was finally defeated, in no small part due to the efforts of you and your friends."

"But unfortunately, the task is not complete. As much as I want to welcome you back home with open arms, I am still worried about the state of America. Every day, some new evil arises, and as Lao Shi is too old and Hayley is too young, only you can defeat the darkness that is about to arrive."

"Wait, so am I being sent back?" said Jake with a tinge of hope.

"Yes. And I am also going to give you a gift."

God took out a small hourglass completely empty.

"Just break it and one of your problems will be solved."

Before Jake could ask, God said his goodbye and then vanished.

And Jake immediately blacked out.

* * *

"Jake!"

Jake was awoken by the sound of many voices calling out his name. As he opened his eyes, he found himself back in the cave, the massive ravine leading to hell having been sealed.

The next few minutes consisted of Jake describing his experience with God. It was met with complete silence until Spud broke it.

"So God really exists, huh?"

Jake nodded, and then remembered the hourglass.

"He also gave me this. Said something about it being able to solve a problem I have. Any guesses?"

The question was met with mostly silence, until Trixie spoke up.

"Wait a minute, Jakey, what about the dance?"

Almost on cue, Jake's phone rang.

"Jake? Jake! Where are you?" It was Susan Long.

And inthat moment, Jake finally knew what the hourglass was meant to br used for. Placing the object carefully on the cold stone ground, he transformed his feet into the draconic form and stepped on it.

And time reversed.

* * *

Time reversal was surprisingly quick. Barely had he blinked than when Jake realized he was back in the ballroom, and it was about 1155pm.

"Oh, Jake! There you are!" said Jake's mother, followed closely by a euphoric Aunt Li.

"Jake, this is your dance partner, Rose."

Jake smiled coyly at Rose, who returned it with a mischevious grin.

"Why, its a pleasure to meet you, Rose."

"The pleasure is mine, Mr. Long."

Aunt Li interrupted this cosy "reunion".

"Now, you both remember the dance, so get out there and get moving!"

* * *

Finally, the dance had come.

Jake took his position facing Rose, a smile on both their lips as the song began.

To anyone watching, the Asian boy with the blonde beauty seemed as if they had known each other for A Thousand Years, as they moved as one, the gentleman leading his lady across the dance floor in an elegant and graceful manner.

As the song entered the chorus, the pace began to pick up, and the happy couple glided effortlessly in between other pairs.

_I have died every day waiting for you_

_Darling don't be afraid, I have loved you_

_For a Thousand Years_

_I love you for a thousand more_

Unbeknownst to anyone in the audience, Jake was actually whispering the words to Rose, holding her tight in his arms.

And Rose whispered back.

___And all along I believed __I would find you_

___Time has brought __Your heart to me_

_I have loved you for a Thousand years_

_I'll love you for a Thousand more_

The song came to a close, and as the dancers exited the stage, the bride and groom took to the floor as a new song began.

But the true winners of the night could be found on the balcony of the hotel.

Jake and Rose were still in each other's arms, swaying gently to an unsung beat, their foreheads leaning against each other, the moonlight bathing them in illumination.

Jake could hear her shallow breathing, almost feel her heart beating furiosly against her ribcage. Rose's lips were still trembling, and Jake just wanted to stop their trembling.

He took her chin and held it gently, using his thumb to caress her cheek.

"I love you"

"I love you"

And with that, Jake kissed Rose again. Unlike last time, this kiss was filled with raw passion, unbridled and unrestrained.

At last, he was whole. That aching gap in his chest had been healed, and it would never, ever be open again.

Some would say their love was doomed, other that it would not last, that the Starcrossed lovers would soon part. But none of them were there on the night when Jake and Rose finally reunited, ready to begin a new chapter in their lives, this time not as individuals, but as one.

And to them, that love was enough to last forever.

* * *

_Once again, thank you for reading Starcrossed. I hope you have enjoyed reading about this story. See ya!_


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